Appearing as a special guest at the Tory Eurosceptic Bruges Group, Mr Stringer said: „Often in discussing the European Union my colleagues use kindergarten language – they say ‚they‘re our friends, how could they not have our interests at heart?‘.

„I think it misunderstands that actually the bureaucrats in Brussels are a self-interested group of people – self-interested in their own survival and perpetuating their growing power and influence across the whole of the European continent.“

“It also misunderstands the fact that the European Union do negotiate but they usually come to agreements at the last minute – the 11th hour.