Cameron says ‘heat and anger’ has come out of UK-EU relationship

By Sophie Wingate and Nina Lloyd, PA Political Staff

Lord Cameron said the “heat and anger” has come out of the UK’s relationship with the European Union and that they can be “friends, neighbours and partners”.

The Foreign Secretary said he thought the “ad hoc” nature of the co-ordination between Britain and the bloc was working well, including in the response to the Ukraine war.

He also warned that if the EU and US fail to agree support packages for Kyiv it would be like “giving a Christmas present to Vladimir Putin”.

In his first lengthy parliamentary grilling since his comeback to frontline politics, the former prime minister faced questions on post-Brexit relations with Europe.

Mr Cameron was not asked about Gibraltar or the ongoing negotiations for a UK/EU treaty on the Rock’s post-Brexit relations with the bloc.

Lord Cameron, who resigned as prime minister after losing the 2016 Brexit referendum, told the Lords European Affairs Committee: “It’s been interesting coming back to see how it’s working and how problems are being fixed and opportunities are being taken.”

“I think a lot of the heat and anger has come out of the relationship. It’s now much more functional and I think it’s functioning well.”

The appointment of the former leader of the Remain campaign to Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet drew criticism from Tory Brexit hardliners.

Lord Cameron told peers on Thursday: “The way I see it is, you know, we’ve decided not to be a member, but we can be friends, neighbours and partners, and we make that partnership work as well as we can. And I think its delivering in all sorts of ways.”

Asked whether a more structured framework for relations with the EU would be beneficial, he said the response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has seen “ad hoc arrangements put in place” and “that flexibility really helps”.

He said the political dispute preventing the US Congress from passing a package of wartime funding for Ukraine and Israel was “frustrating”.

“The best Christmas present we could give to the Ukrainians is to pass both those packages and if we don’t, we’re giving a Christmas present to Vladimir Putin and we shouldn’t be doing that.”

He also said Britain’s foreign policy tilt towards the Indo-Pacific “isn’t just a phrase.”

“It’s a proper thought-through policy with a number of… real things that are happening,” Lord Cameron told peers, pointing to the UK’s accession to the CPTPP trade bloc, Hiroshima accords with Japan, and Aukus submarine agreement with the US and Australia as examples.”