Germany will “win the peace” in Europe as a result of Brexit, with the UK’s influence diminished, the former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine has said.

The Tory peer said it was “quite unacceptable” that Germany would be in a dominant position in Europe having lost the second world war.

Lord Heseltine, who was sacked from a string of advisory roles within government after rebelling over the article 50 legislation in the Lords, insisted he would continue working to avert the “disaster” of Brexit.

In an interview with The House magazine, he said: “We’ve now abandoned the opportunity to influence Europe, the council of ministers will meet and we won’t be there. Our ability to speak for the Commonwealth within Europe has come to an end. The Americans will shift their focus of interest to Germany.

“And if I can put it to you, for someone like myself, it was in 1933, the year of my birth, that Hitler was democratically elected in Germany. He unleashed the most horrendous war. This country played a unique role in securing his defeat.

“So Germany lost the war. We’ve just handed them the opportunity to win the peace. I find that quite unacceptable.”

Ukip said the comments were an extraordinary thing to say and asked if Heseltine had “lost his marbles”.

“If I was German I would be deeply offended,” a Ukip spokesman told the BBC. “I never realised the purpose of Britain’s membership of the EU was to stop German domination of Europe.

“For someone who is deeply pro-European to basically say he doesn’t trust the German people not to misbehave shows how utterly out of touch he is with the modern world and the modern, democratic and free Germany.”

The controversial comments were also heavily criticised on Twitter, where Heseltine’s name was trending on Friday evening.

Stewart Jackson, Conservative MP‏ for Peterborough, tweeted, referring to the philosopher who recently called for a general strike against Brexit: “He’s gone the full A C Grayling. Lord Heseltine suggests Brexit vote allows Germany to win WW2.”

Another Tory MP, Peter Bone, has urged Heseltine to apologise for his “appalling” comments.



“They are very sad comments from someone who is driven by bitterness,” he told MailOnline. “I think if he sits down and sensibly thinks about his remarks he will quickly want to apologise for them.

“It is so inappropriate that anyone who reads it will be appalled.”

In a wide-ranging interview, Heseltine also criticised Theresa May for campaigning to remain in the EU as home secretary but “within a few weeks” of becoming PM, insisting that “Brexit means Brexit”.

Comparing May with Margaret Thatcher, Heseltine said: “This lady was for turning.”

“I don’t know how someone who made that speech can within a few weeks say ‘Brexit is Brexit’ and ask the nation to unite behind it. I remember, echoing down the corridors of history ‘you turn if you want to; the lady is not for turning’. This lady was for turning.

“The old saying is ‘if the facts change, I change my mind’, but they are not changing and I don’t see the slightest chance of them changing.”