Ann Widdecombe says no-deal Brexit is 'nothing compared to the sacrifice' of World War Two
A no-deal Brexit would be “nothing compared to the sacrifice” people made in the Second World War to “ensure Britain’s freedom”, Brexit Party candidate Ann Widdecombe has said.
Speaking on Radio 4, the former Conservative MP - who defected to the party to stand as a candidate in the forthcoming European elections - said: “It is as nothing compared to the sacrifice that we asked a previous generation to make in order to ensure Britain’s freedom.
“My granny was bombed out in Plymouth. People lost sons and husbands and fathers and they did this because they wanted freedom.”
On @BBCr4today a moment ago Ann Widdecombe compared Brexit to the fight for freedom from fascism in WW2. Doing so isn’t just populist hyperbole, it is to dishonour the sacrifice of millions. Britain deserves better than these lies.
— Owen Smith (@OwenSmith_MP) May 9, 2019
Her comparison to the Second World War drew criticism from Labour MP Owen Smith, who branded it “populist hyperbole” and saying it dishonoured the sacrifice of the millions who had died.
Ms Widdecombe, who served as a Conservative MP for 13 years, said she hoped the Brexit Party would "sweep to victory" and send a "clear message" to her old party and Labour.
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Writing in the Daily Express, she said: "I am standing for the Brexit Party in order that I may campaign vigorously and convince my fellow voters that this time it is imperative to fire a very loud warning shot across the bows of the parties they would normally support."