Frederic Cuvillier, mayor of Boulogne-sur-mer, threatened “a Falklands war on your doorstep” unless the UK makes concessions over its territorial waters. He also warned of possible confrontations amongst trawlers at sea, while referring to news of Royal Navy gunboats being used to protect the sovereignty of the UK’s waters. He said: “Do you really want a Falklands war on your doorstep in Guernsey or Jersey?
“Talk of gunboats may flatter the jingoistic ego on either side of the Channel but it will not help us reach a deal.”
Express readers reacted to his comments, with one commenting, “the UK does not take lightly to being threatened”.
An Express reader responded to the comments on Facebook and said: “Cant the french remember we won the Falklands War, short memories indeed and the UK does not take lightly to being threatened.”
Another added: “Are we seriously supposed to be frightened of a threat of war by the French on our doorstep?”
Someone else stated: “Keep out of UK waters, and there will not be a need for a Falkland’s type war.
“Come in, and poach, we are entitled to take action.”
The mayor added the ships would be better used picking up migrants from the English Channel.
He told The Daily Telegraph: “Rather than sending boats out to pick up fishermen, would it not be better to send them out to check whether migrations are drowning?
READ MORE: Boris MUST hold out against EU over fish warns ANDREA HOSSO
One Facebook follower of the Daily Express indulged in a history lesson for the French mayor as they commented: “The Falkland war is not really a good analogy to use is it, we had victory in a conflict halfway around the planet.
“Remember Agincourt..? The Napoleonic war.? The battle of Waterloo.? Two world wars.? The Indochina war.?”
Currently, the Brexit talks have been stuck deadlock over the bloc’s demands for access to British fishing waters.
If the UK drops out of Europe on World Trade Organisation terms, this will mean significant tariffs on the trade of many products between the UK and EU.
However, for the UK to remain part of the EU’s single market would mean compromises to the nation’s control over its own territorial waters.
