Pro-EU politicians are “putting lives at risk for the sake of political union”, a senior Ukip figure said as he hit back at criticism that he was seeking to make political capital from the Brussels terror attacks.
David Cameron was among those who condemned as “not appropriate” a statement issued by Ukip defence spokesman Mike Hookem as the scale of the carnage unfolded, blaming EU border-free travel for weakening security.
But a defiant Mr Hookem said it was the Prime Minister who was “shameless” for backing continued membership of the EU despite the consequences for national security.
“Cameron says we’re safer in the EU. Well, I’m in the centre of the EU and it doesn’t feel very safe,” he posted on his Twitter feed.
“What is shameless is putting lives at risk for the sake of political union.”
In his initial statement, he said he was “appalled at the loss of life and injuries” and that “thoughts and prayers” were with the families of those killed and injured.
But he went on: “This horrific act of terrorism shows that Schengen free movement and lax border controls are a threat to our security.
“The head of Europol said in February that 5,000 jihadists are at large in the EU having slipped in from Syria.
“There are 94 returned jihadists currently living in Molenbeek, Brussels. This fact alone should alert people to the fact that open borders are putting the lives of European citizens at risk.”
The Prime Minister, speaking in Downing Street after chairing a meeting of the Government’s Cobra emergency committee and phoning his Belgian counterpart, said: “I think it is not appropriate at this time to make any of those sorts of remarks.
“What we should be doing today is expressing our sympathies and condolences with the people of Belgium who have suffered this appalling terrorist attack.
“We in this country know what that feels like because of what we experienced in 7/7. We saw what happened in Paris.
“This is the latest terrorist outrage and today is a day for sympathy and condolence, for enhancing our own security, for working with our own colleagues and offering them every help we can and making sure we are very clear that we will never let these terrorists win.”
Former Labour leader Ed Miliband, whose father Ralph was born in Brussels, said: “All of us have been deeply shocked by what we have seen unfolding in Brussels today … I think on a day like this I don’t think it’s the day for either side in the referendum to somehow try to use this terrible tragedy to make political capital.”
Former home secretary Alan Johnson, appearing alongside Mr Miliband at a Labour In For Britain event, said: “There’s something deeply distasteful about using what’s happening today to rush to the media and use it as some kind of point-scoring.”
Ukip leader Nigel Farage said: “I’m very upset by events in Brussels today and even more depressed for the future.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokeswoman said: “First and foremost today is a day about Belgium and the Belgian people and thinking of all those who have either lost loved ones today or who are dealing with injuries and will for ever be affected by what we have seen in Brussels this morning.
“We should also realise that this is a shared threat. It is a shared threat that we should be working together to tackle as we have been with offer of support that we have made today.”