WATCH: Andrew Neil’s RUTHLESS question to Labour MP leaves him STRUGGLING for words
BBC presenter Andrew Neil’s brutal question to Shadow Transport Secretary Andy MacDonald about countries without free movement in the single market left him floundering.
The BBC host asked if the Remainer could give an example of a country that is a member of the single market but doesn’t have free movement.
The Labour MP said: “Well people have got, Norway have got their own arrangement...“
Mr Neil quickly cut in saying: “They have free movement.”
Mr McDonald continued: “Sweden have their own arrangements...“
BBC
The BBC host interrupted, saying: “They have free movement.”
Mr McDonald said: “We have got to find, we are a different economy, we’re infinitely bigger than those—“
Interceding again, Mr Neil said: “But there is no example, the price of membership is free movement isn’t it?
The Labour MP said: “Freedom of movement when we leave the European Union goes, it’s then for us to write our immigration policy as we see fits our economy rather than just simply pulling up the draw bridge and damning the economy as people seem to do.”
Britain has been aiming to break the Brexit deadlock by making progress on the EU’s key Brexit issues – including the Irish border, the financial settlement and citizens’ rights.
They were hoping to make “significant progress” on the three key issues this month so the UK and EU will be able to move to the second stage of Brexit negotiations for the EU summit next week.
However, Theresa May had to break off Brexit negotiations with Jean-Claude Juncker on Monday after details of a proposed Irish border deal emerged in the press, prompting the Prime Minister to leave talks to contact DUP leader Arlene Foster.
The leaked deal suggested Northern Ireland would be offered a separate Brexit deal in order to avoid the implementation of the hard border – keeping the country in the EU’s customs union and single market in all but name.
