Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. (Image: GETTY)
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is under pressure to apologise for using a “tone deaf and frankly shameful” Remembrance Sunday statement to announce an EU youth mobility scheme. The Cabinet Minister announced on Sunday that the UK will rejoin Europe’s Erasmus+ scheme, allowing young Britons to study, train or get work experience in the European Union.
Ms Nandy said Britain should honour its veterans by creating new opportunities for future generations “through closeness and collaboration with our allies”. But Conservative Party Chairman Kevin Hollinrake has demanded the Culture Secretary withdraw her remarks and apologise.
He said: “Remembrance Sunday is a day for the nation to stand together in silence and honour those who gave everything for our country. It is not a day for a Labour minister to try to make an EU membership pitch.
“Our veterans did not fight for a student exchange scheme. Using their sacrifice to clear a £570 million cheque to Brussels is tone deaf and frankly shameful.”
Veterans reacted to her statement with fury.
Col Richard Kemp, a former head of British forces in Afghanistan, said: “On Remembrance Sunday, it is not about Erasmus or anything like that – it is all about remembering and commemorating the people who made the supreme sacrifice. The focus of that should not be taken away by the Government.”
And Maj Gen Timothy Cross CBE, a retired British Army officer and military logistics expert, accused the Culture Secretary of using Remembrance Sunday for “political point scoring”.
Ms Nandy on Sunday morning defended against allegations that celebrating the UK rejoining Erasmus+ by linking it to Remembrance Sunday was inappropriate.
She was asked about criticism from the Tories about the announcement as she appeared on Sky News’ Sunday Morning programme.
She told the broadcaster: “I strongly, strongly disagree, and it’s Remembrance Sunday, it’s not a time for politicking, and I’m actually kind of quite horrified that the chairman of the Conservative Party has chosen to do that.
“They are the only party that is talking about Brexit and the European Union today. What we are announcing this weekend is that we’re going to widen the Erasmus scheme.”
Ms Nandy said there was “a whole generation of young people growing up, they will never get the chance to meet a World War II veteran”.
She added: “They are remembered, that generation, across the whole of Europe because they fought alongside many of our European allies, but they liberated many, many people across Europe from tyranny.
“I cannot see what is political about saying that we want young people from every part of this country to understand the contribution that their grandparents and great-grandparents made, not just to us, but to many, many lives of people that they had never met.”
Britain left the Erasmus+ scheme in 2020 under Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal and was replaced by the Turing Scheme, which was scrapped when the Government announced the new Erasmus+ deal.
Labour Minister Savaged Over ‘Shameful’ EU Remembrance Sunday Blunder
Labour Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has found herself at the centre of a political storm after being accused of exploiting Remembrance Sunday to promote the Government’s closer relationship with the European Union. Her comments linking Britain’s return to the Erasmus+ student exchange programme with the sacrifices made by British soldiers during two world wars have triggered fierce criticism from Conservative politicians, veterans and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
The controversy erupted after Nandy’s department published a statement announcing that the United Kingdom would officially rejoin Erasmus+ in January 2027, six years after leaving the programme as part of Boris Johnson’s Brexit arrangements.
Rather than simply announcing the educational benefits of the scheme, the department connected the decision directly to Remembrance Sunday, arguing that closer cooperation with European neighbours was a way of honouring those who had fought for freedom.
The wording immediately attracted criticism, with opponents accusing Labour of using a solemn national occasion to advance its political agenda on Brexit.
For many critics, the issue is not whether international educational exchanges are beneficial. It is whether the sacrifices of Britain’s Armed Forces should be used to promote a government agreement with Brussels.
Kevin Hollinrake Leads the Attack
Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake was among the strongest critics of the announcement.
He accused Nandy of displaying a serious lack of judgement and argued that Remembrance Sunday should be reserved for honouring those who lost their lives in military service.
Hollinrake described the announcement as “tone deaf and frankly shameful”, insisting that veterans’ sacrifices should not become a political tool.
He also demanded that the Culture Secretary withdraw the statement and apologise.
His criticism reflected a wider Conservative argument that Labour is increasingly using national events to promote its ambition for closer relations with the European Union.
For the Conservatives, the timing was particularly inappropriate because Remembrance Sunday is one of the few occasions when people across Britain’s political divisions come together to remember the fallen.
They believe that connecting the occasion to a new EU agreement risks undermining the solemnity of the day.
Lisa Nandy Refuses to Apologise
Rather than withdrawing her remarks, Nandy strongly defended her position during television interviews.
Speaking to Sky News and appearing on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, she said she was horrified that the Conservatives had chosen to politicise the announcement.
She argued that remembering the Second World War should include recognising the contribution of Britain’s European allies and the importance of maintaining peaceful relationships between nations.
Nandy also referred to Winston Churchill’s post-war vision of friendship and cooperation across Europe.
Her argument was that younger generations should understand how British soldiers fought not only for their own country but also helped liberate people across Europe from tyranny.
She maintained that encouraging international understanding among young people was consistent with the spirit of Remembrance.
However, her refusal to apologise has done little to calm the controversy.
Critics argue that the minister could have announced the Erasmus agreement on another day without connecting it to the remembrance of fallen soldiers.
Nigel Farage Joins the Backlash
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also criticised the Culture Secretary’s decision.
Farage said he considered it deeply inappropriate for Nandy to use Remembrance Sunday to announce the return of an EU student exchange programme.
He has consistently opposed closer European integration and has argued that Labour is gradually reversing important elements of Brexit.
For Farage, the announcement provides another example of what he sees as the government’s determination to rebuild Britain’s relationship with Brussels despite the 2016 referendum result.
He has also criticised the financial cost of returning to Erasmus+, describing the programme as expensive compared with the alternative arrangements introduced after Brexit.
His intervention has helped turn what might otherwise have been a relatively straightforward educational announcement into another major political dispute.
What Is Erasmus+ and Why Has It Become Controversial?
Erasmus+ is a European programme that supports education, training, youth exchanges and sporting cooperation.
It allows students to study at universities abroad, provides opportunities for apprentices and vocational students, and supports exchanges involving schools, youth organisations and educational professionals.
Britain left the programme in 2020 following the Brexit agreement negotiated by Boris Johnson.
The previous Conservative Government introduced the Turing Scheme as an alternative, allowing British students to undertake international placements.
However, Labour has argued that Erasmus+ offers wider opportunities and a more comprehensive framework for international cooperation.
Under the new agreement, the UK will rejoin the programme in January 2027.
The government says that it has secured a 30 per cent reduction in participation fees for 2027, which it estimates will save taxpayers approximately £240 million.
It has also announced more than £400 million in funding to support educational and youth exchanges, including opportunities for disadvantaged young people.
Ministers expect more than 100,000 people to benefit from the programme.
Supporters argue that the scheme will help students, apprentices and young people develop valuable international experience while improving educational and cultural relationships.
However, critics question whether the benefits justify the financial commitment and whether the government should have presented the announcement separately from Remembrance Sunday.
The £570 Million Question
The financial cost has become another important part of the controversy.
The UK is expected to pay approximately £570 million to participate in the expanded Erasmus+ programme for 2027, although the government says its negotiated discount makes the arrangement better value for taxpayers.
Conservatives argue that the amount represents a substantial financial commitment at a time when households are facing pressure from living costs, public services remain stretched and the government is under pressure to control public spending.
They also question whether the previous Turing Scheme could have continued to provide international educational opportunities without returning to the European programme.
Labour, meanwhile, insists that Erasmus+ provides broader opportunities and that the negotiated financial arrangements represent value for money.
The government argues that the scheme will benefit universities, schools, colleges, apprentices and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The disagreement therefore extends beyond the controversy over Remembrance Sunday. It reflects a much wider political argument about the financial and practical consequences of rebuilding Britain’s relationship with Europe.
Veterans Deserve Respect, Say Critics
One of the strongest criticisms has come from former military figures who believe that Remembrance Sunday should remain separate from contemporary political disputes.
Former British forces commander Colonel Richard Kemp criticised Nandy’s approach, arguing that it was inappropriate to suggest that those who died in the world wars had sacrificed their lives specifically to support modern European educational programmes.
Former First Sea Lord Lord West also questioned the connection between the historical sacrifices of British servicemen and the Erasmus agreement.
Their argument is that remembrance should focus on the courage, suffering and sacrifices of those who served, rather than being used to justify current government policies.
This criticism has particular significance because veterans and military families often regard Remembrance Sunday as an occasion that should unite the country regardless of political differences.
However, supporters of Nandy’s position argue that remembering the wars should also involve understanding the importance of peace and international cooperation.
The disagreement demonstrates how sensitive the relationship between historical memory and contemporary politics can become.
Labour’s Wider European Strategy Under Scrutiny
The controversy comes as Andy Burnham’s government faces growing criticism over its approach to the European Union.
Labour has repeatedly signalled its intention to rebuild relationships with European partners and reduce some of the economic barriers created by Brexit.
The return to Erasmus+ forms part of that broader strategy.
Other discussions have focused on food trade, security cooperation, youth mobility and closer economic relationships.
However, the government insists that improving relations with the EU does not automatically mean reversing Brexit or seeking full membership.
Nevertheless, Conservative and Reform politicians believe that Labour is gradually moving Britain towards closer integration without giving voters a clear explanation of the long-term consequences.
The Remembrance Sunday controversy has therefore become another opportunity for opponents to question the government’s political judgement.
Conclusion: A Serious Political Misjudgement?
Lisa Nandy’s decision to connect the return of Erasmus+ with Remembrance Sunday has created an unnecessary political storm for the Labour Government.
Her underlying argument about the importance of European cooperation and the sacrifices made by previous generations is not difficult to understand. British soldiers fought alongside European allies, and the peace that followed the Second World War remains an important part of modern European history.
However, the way the announcement was presented has raised legitimate questions about political sensitivity and respect for national commemorations.
Remembrance Sunday is an occasion when millions of people pause to honour those who gave their lives in service of the country. Many believe that it should not be used as an opportunity to promote government agreements, regardless of how beneficial those agreements might be.
Nandy has refused to apologise, insisting that it is the Conservatives who have politicised the occasion. Yet her department’s own statement created the connection between the remembrance of fallen soldiers and the return of the European student exchange programme.
For Andy Burnham, the controversy is another reminder that closer relations with Brussels remain politically sensitive.
The government may believe that Erasmus+ offers valuable opportunities for younger generations, but it must recognise that the way policies are announced can matter just as much as the policies themselves.
Ultimately, honouring Britain’s veterans should be a responsibility shared across the political spectrum. Their sacrifices deserve respect, sincerity and remembrance, not unnecessary political arguments.