‘Britons didn’t understand’ Bitter EU launches extraordinary Brexit attack on proud voters

MEPs have suggested they could have secured the vote for Remain if they campaigned and warned “often misled” British voters of the risks of leaving, a report on the Article 50 process says. A UK Government source told The Telegraph: “Being lectured on transparency by the European Parliament shows just how little many in the EU have learnt from Brexit.”

They added: “Rather than continue to patronise the British people over a legitimate decision they took to take back control from Brussels, they should focus their efforts in areas where the UK and EU can work together.”

The report says: “British citizens had scant knowledge about the European Union and were not adequately informed about the far-reaching consequences of the decision to leave the union.

“Citizens were never given a clear picture of the relationship that their country would have with the EU once it left, and were often misled about the implications of the withdrawal, especially as regards Northern Ireland.

It adds MEPs regretted the restraint and limited engagement of the European Parliament and its committees in the run-up to the UK referendum, adding that it had left UK citizens without full access to information on how the EU works and the implications of Brexit.

MEPs claimed that misinformation influenced the vote to leave. They warned that future referendums in the bloc were at risk of disinformation, foreign interference and funding irregularities.

The report says Brussels had achieved its key aims in the Brexit negotiations as a result of EU unity in the face of Britain’s rejection of the obligations linked to EU membership.  

It praises the bloc for identifying its aims to secure the financial settlement, the so-called Brexit bill, protecting the rights of citizens and the circumstances surrounding Ireland.

The report attacks the UK Government, accusing it of failing to plan for Brexit, which it says raised the spectre of no-deal.

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The  EU’s role is identified in the report as preserving “the European integration process” and preventing other countries from leaving.

MEPs backed the report by a majority of 516 votes, suggesting any such votes in future should be subject to a confirmatory referendum especially if a no-deal were possible.

News of the report sparked fury among Express.co.uk readers.

Ghostdad raged: “What stupefying arrogance to tell the voters who voted to get out of the EU that they did not know what they were voting for.”

Fellow reader coyh said Brexit supporters knew what they voted for and the result has been vindicated by the EU’s treatment since.

They demanded: “The EU needs to come to terms with our decision and accept and move on.”

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Chris W chimed in: “Why doesn’t the EU just leave us to get on with being out of their political nightmare?

“Instead of behaving like children, they should just move on to the new arrangement. They could even consider being constructive about it instead of throwing hurdles and criticism in our path.”

Fellow Express.co.uk reader Dragon10 said: “I waited decades for the referendum to get out of the EU and I knew exactly what I voted for!

“Absolutely no regrets!”