Fury as Labour MP is accused of hijacking Remembrance Sunday to promote Andy Burnham’s EU ‘reset’

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy was criticised by Conservative chairman Kevin Hollinrake after her Remembrance Sunday statement linked the Erasmus+ student exchange scheme with connections across Europe. Hollinrake said the commemorations should honour those who served and accused her of using them to promote an EU agenda; Nandy’s department said the programme would help young people build links that veterans’ service had helped secure.

Separately, ministers have raised concerns about a proposed UK-EU youth mobility scheme, still under negotiation ahead of a 20 November summit. It could allow under-30s to live, work, study and travel on both sides of the Channel, while one minister warned that up to a million EU entrants could compete for jobs as the government seeks to tackle youth unemployment. The UK is seeking an annual entry quota, while the EU wants lower university fees for its students.