A World War II veteran said Brexit is “breaking his heart” in an impassioned speech on the day of his hundredth birthday.
Victor Gregg, a former paratrooper, gave an impromptu indictment of the process during an interview with Dan Walker on BBC Breakfast.
He said: “I wish everybody well. I wish the world well.
“It’s breaking my heart, what’s happening. It really is, after all that struggle and all the sacrifice.
“And to see how we’re even in danger of losing our community as a united kingdom.
“No, no. I’m against it all. And I think it’s terrible. It’s terrible.
“It makes me want to cry to think about it.
“Thinking that we should go it alone. We can’t.
“But there you are, that’s only an old geezer talking.”
The unexpected moment has had a huge response on social media and comment boards.
“To all the Brexit supporters using past wars and war veterans as their totem for why we should leave the EU, they don’t want it,” said Twitter user Stephen McKnight.
Twitter user Paul Johnson said: “Without being prompted in any way Victor made the biggest indictment of the brexit campaign yet. He fought to bring Europe together not to isolate a broken UK.
“Warlike language users of Brexit take note.”
But not everyone had the same reaction.
Robert Sandel said: “Don’t think that it’s Brexit breaking his heart. It’s the lack of it?”
“Stage managed old codger obviously given a prepared BBC anti-Brexit script,” said another commenter.
Sam McCarthy said his veteran granddad “would never have bowed his head to the Germans or the French … what utter tripe”.
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