'What has this country done to itself?': Historian says Tory MPs unaware of UK's 'ridiculous' image internationally
12 October 2022, 19:10 | Updated: 12 October 2022, 19:30
Historian and journalist Max Hastings has said some Conservative MPs are unaware of the UK's 'ridiculous' image in the US and in Europe.
During an interview on LBC's Tonight with Andrew Marr, Hastings lamented the way the UK is being perceived by our European neighbours, and said the decline in its reputation is 'heartbreaking'.
Asked if he'd ever seen anything like the recent challenges the Tory party is facing, Hastings said, "If there's one thing worse - for a country or for a politician - than being hated, it's seeming ridiculous.
"And what's heartbreaking, I think for all of us, is that our country does seem in the eyes of the world increasingly ridiculous.
"And I don't think, especially some Tories, seem to understand how Americans and how Europeans are viewing us.
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"They don't hate us, they just look at us with complete disbelief: 'What has this country done to itself for the last fifteen years?'
Asked what he thought of Labour leader Keir Starmer, Hastings said: "One would like to see Keir Starmer be bolder.
"But anything has got to be better than this farce, which is making Britain seem absurd in the eyes of the world.
He added: "And that's a tragedy for those of us who care passionately about our country."
