'Brainwashed by Brussels!' British children taught 'European Integration' as UK schools forced to fly EU flag under Labour's controversial Erasmus scheme

Ed Griffiths
Sun, 19 Apr 2026 10:39:19 +0000

British children will be "brainwashed by Brussels", Tory MPs have warned, amid Labour's controversial decision to bring the UK back into the EU's Erasmus programme.

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of attempting to indoctrinate young people with pro-EU messaging.

Labour finalised Britain's return to the £570million annual exchange programme this week, presenting it as a gateway to opportunities for young people.

However, the agreement's fine print contains mandatory rules that have sparked outrage among critics, with those who fail to comply risking fines of thousands of pounds.

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Participating schools, colleges and universities must incorporate EU-related topics into their teaching and work to strengthen what the programme describes as "European identity" among pupils as young as four.

Educational institutions are also required to display the EU flag prominently and acknowledge EU funding across all materials, from printed documents to social media posts.

Tory MP Saqib Bhatti said: "This is a thinly veiled attempt to brainwash children, with EU propaganda beamed right into their schools, colleges and universities.

"We all know Starmer wants to unpick Brexit, but now he is resorting to mind control to do it."

Fellow Conservative Mike Wood described the scheme as "a Trojan horse for the EU propaganda machine."

He warned that the Prime Minister had signed British taxpayers up to a scheme costing billions and "forces the promotion of the EU."

Labour's decision to rejoin Erasmus was taken without any parliamentary debate or vote, with the move drawing sharp criticism from opposition benches.

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Conservative MPs have also highlighted that the scheme costs twice what Boris Johnson deemed unacceptable when he rejected it in 2021.

Labour intends to shut down the Turing programme, which previously enabled disadvantaged British students to gain experience worldwide rather than solely in Europe.

The Turing scheme operated at considerably lower cost because the UK was not required to subsidise foreign students travelling to Britain.

Senior figures in the party have openly advocated for closer relations with the EU, with one minister recently describing improved European cooperation as "patriotic."

Sir Keir Starmer has pointed to the damaged special relationship with the US and shifting global circumstances as justification for deepening partnerships with European allies.

A Government spokesman said: "The law is clear that schools must remain politically impartial, and rejoining Erasmus does not change this.

"Erasmus will enable hundreds of thousands of children and young people to access life-changing opportunities to travel and study abroad."