‘We’re all pro-Europeans now’: Rudd seeks to rebuild Tory-Europe relations

Almost a decade after the Brexit referendum, Amber Rudd is hoping to rebuild bridges between the Tories and Europe.

The former home secretary is one of the driving forces behind a new informal Conservative European Affairs Council (CEAC) that aims to encourage pro-European Tories and help the party talk to Europe.

And with US President Donald Trump stepping back from European defence and Russia continuing to threaten the continent, she sees an even stronger case for improving Conservative relations with Europe.

It's trying to show the Conservative Party is not one of those nationalist parties. It's outward-looking

In an interview with the PA news agency, she said: “I would say that now, under the current international circumstances, we’re all pro-Europeans.”

But the former Remain campaigner, who resigned from Boris Johnson’s cabinet over his handling of Brexit, insisted she was not looking to re-run the Brexit referendum.

She said: “Former Remainers like myself are not campaigning to rejoin, we are not campaigning for another vote.

“All that is finished, it’s in the past, and I think it’s quite important to say that that’s all in the past.

“What we want now is what’s the best relationship within the Conservative Party to position ourselves for the future, for a future Conservative government facing towards Europe.”

Instead, the CEAC will look to engage with all of Europe, not just the EU, to improve the party’s “understanding of what is happening in individual European countries, in the EU and outside of it”, according to Conservative councillor Max Austin, who is the group’s co-convenor alongside Ms Rudd.

Bringing together other Conservative Party groups, it will also look to build relationships with other centre-right parties in Europe to learn how to appeal to younger voters and take on more populist parties.

“It’s trying to show the Conservative Party is not one of those nationalist parties. It’s outward-looking, and it’s outward-looking towards what’s on its doorstep, as well as beyond,” Ms Rudd added.

It is on defence and security that Ms Rudd suggested there could be an opportunity for more engagement between Conservatives and Europe, saying the party “must not be left behind” as Sir Keir Starmer “changed the agenda” and put together the “coalition of the willing” on Ukraine.

She said: “We have to be more assertive about wanting to lead Europe on the defence side, and that’s exactly what Keir has done.

“And most people, unless they’re really committed against Labour, but most people who are sort of middle-of-the-road Conservatives are saying ‘Gosh, he’s doing quite well, Keir Starmer, on that side’.

“And it seems in a moment of crisis, like Europe is in at the moment, the combination of Trump stepping back and the Russians leaning even further into Ukraine, that’s where the UK should be, and we need to be able to say that we are pro-European from that point of view.”

It is a point of view that many in the Conservative Party may be receptive to, given the interest already shown in the CEAC from a cross-section of the party.

The group’s formation was formally announced at a reception hosted by the Irish embassy last month, addressed by shadow minister Mark Garnier and attended by shadow cabinet member Andrew Bowie and former deputy prime minister Baroness Therese Coffey along with representatives from Kemi Badenoch’s office and former Vote Leave campaigners.

We need to disentangle Europe from the EU. Those two concepts have been entwined for far too long

Ms Rudd said she was “slightly surprised” that pro-Brexit campaigners had attended the event, but added that they had said they were “here because we think you are doing something which is right for us all”.

Mr Austin said: “We need to disentangle Europe from the EU. Those two concepts have been entwined for far too long.

“But also, you can be a pro-European Brexiteer, and there is no home for that category.

“We’ve had some members come who are committed in their belief on the future relationship between the EU and the UK, but are still interested and see the importance of understanding what is going on on the broader European continent and with the EU.”

He added: “It’s not about people being right or wrong in the past, we don’t expect people to say I was right or wrong on anything.

“It’s recognising that the chapter has changed and what we’re doing really matters.”