Tories ridiculed for absurd Brexit advert claiming the UK and EU are 'equals'

A government advert is being ridiculed for suggesting the UK has a "close friendship" and "shared values" with the EU.

The advert, promoted by the Cabinet Office, is supposed to inspire excitement about the UK's "new relationship" with the European Union post-Brexit.

But as many people pointed out, "friendship" doesn't usually involve a four-year public campaign to leave as quickly as possible.

The division, falsehoods and accusations of racism and xenophobia can't simply be smoothed over by invoking our "shared history and shared values".

Especially when negotiations have inflamed tensions with EU officials and led to years of parliamentary upheaval at home.

But the majority of backlash to the advert was sparked by the suggestion that the UK and the EU are "sovereign equals".

Firstly, although EU states do agree to by treaty to share sovereignty, in practice each has its own government and makes its own decisions with guidance from EU rules.

And secondly, the suggestion that the UK is "equal" to every single EU member state put together is a little arrogant, to say the least.

The advert is the latest instalment of the government's 'Let's Get Going' media campaign.

The UK left the EU on 31 January but will remain in a transitional period until December 31.

During this time, the UK is still trying to smooth out the details of total disentanglement from the EU, and is pursuing trading deals elsewhere, notably with the US.