Daniel Kawczynski: Tory MP finally admits being wrong about Britain not receiving US aid after Second World War

Academics, historians and school children were among those who pointed out his Tweet saying UK got no financial help was inaccurate

The Tory MP who claimed the UK received no aid from America’s famous Marshall Plan after the Second World War has finally admitted he was wrong and apologised.

Brexiteer Daniel Kawczynski failed to check his basic GCSE-level history books before firing off a tweet earlier this month suggesting Britain got nothing under the initiative which helped rebuild Western Europe.

The missive – widely derided in 12,000 replies – was originally designed to suggest the UK was not being treated fairly by the EU during Brexit negotiations.

“Britain helped to liberate half of Europe,” the Shrewsbury MP wrote. “She mortgaged herself up to eye balls in process. No Marshall Plan for us only for Germany.

"We gave up war reparations in 1990. We put £370 billion into EU since we joined. Watch the way ungrateful EU treats us now. We will remember."

But after academics, historians and one or two year 10 schoolchildren lined up to point out he was, in fact, not correct, the 47-year-old has now, two weeks later, held his hands up to being “inaccurate”.

He told the Shropshire Star newspaper: "It has been pointed out to me by eminent academics/professors and senior researchers in the House of Commons Library that Britain did receive aid under the Marshall Plan.

"The line in my tweet which stated that Britain did not benefit was therefore inaccurate."

The precise amount Britain received was £3bn, making the country the single biggest receipient of Marshall Aid money.

Mr Kawczynski added: "I would like to apologise for putting this inaccurate sentence within my tweet. My own personal conviction, however, remains that the massive loans that Britain had to take out during the war from America outweighed the benefits of the aid received.

"On 31 December 2006, Britain made a final payment of about $83m (£45.5m) and thereby discharged the last of its war loans from the US. By the end of Second World War, Britain had amassed an immense debt of £21bn.”

He did not thank any school children who had also offered him an accurate version of history following the original tweet.