Backlash over Boris Johnson's Hitler-EU comparison

Boris Johnson continues to be attacked for comparing the EU's aims to Hitler's.

The pro-Brexit campaigner told the Telegraph that the Nazi leader had failed at unifying Europe under a "single authority" and the EU was now trying "to do this by different methods".

Field Marshall Lord Bramall, former head of the armed services, said the comments were "absurd" and "laughable".

"I know only too well, this comparison of the EU and Nazi Germany is absurd," Bramall, who took part in the Normandy landings, is quoted as saying.

"Hitler’s main aim was to create an empire in the East and violently subjugate Europeans. Any connection between that and the EU is simply laughable."

His criticism joins that of several others, who say Johnson is playing a "nasty game" and has "gone too far".

Former Labour cabinet minister Yvette Cooper accused him of "divisive cynical politics", while Conservative MP Nicholas Soames said he had "gone too far".

However, he does have some supporters - former cabinet minister and fellow Brexiter Chris Grayling said his comments were "historical analysis".

Lord Lamont, the former Tory chancellor also defended his comments.

"He was simply saying that historically, from the Romans, Charlemagne, Napoleon, there have been all sorts of attempts to dominate Europe."

At an event on Monday he was directly asked by a reporter whether it was appropriate to compare the EU with Nazi Germany and its plans to conquer Europe.

"You're persistently trying to drag the subject back to previous attempts to unify Europe," he said. "What I'm talking about is what's going on now, and it is completely anti-democratic."

Pressed on the question of the direct comparison that he made, he replied: "Actually, I was making a comparison with what happened in 918, is the truth."