Naga Munchetty welcomed Dr Liam Fox, Conservative MP and International Trade Secretary, on to BBC Breakfast this morning, and the timing couldn’t have been better.
Today – March 29 – is the day the United Kingdom was breaking away from the European Union, following on from the triggering of Article 50 two years ago to the day.
The UK still hasn’t left the EU, with Parliament currently struggling to negotiate on a Brexit deal – and Munchetty wanted to know why.
Munchetty launched into the interview by demanding to know if the Prime Minister, Theresa May, would resign immediately if her third vote on her deal fails again.
However, Fox failed to answer the question Munchetty put to him, and deflected: “Well, what will happen if we don’t get the vote through today is we will not be able to give either voters or businesses the certainty they want about when we leave.”
Munchetty seemed frustrated by Fox’s lack of an answer and asked the same question again: “Ok, I’ll ask again,” she began, “If she loses this vote today, should she resign?”
“The Prime Minister said she will stay on until we are able to deliver on the withdrawal agreement,” Fox answered.
Munchetty, who was getting slightly more agitated with the MPs unwillingness to answer her initial question, then said: “But what if she doesn’t deliver? Let’s be realistic, it’s vote two and a half.”
Fox replied: “It’s not the Prime Minister unable to deliver. It’s Parliament who are refusing to deliver on this.”
Munchetty interjected: “Well, actually, it is the Prime Minister, though you claim to back her, has failed to deliver, because she’s the one in charge of these Brexit negotiations isn’t she?She’s the one in charge of Parliament. She hasn’t delivered it yet.”
“Well, one of the elements that we seem to forget in this debate – and we’ve had all these debates about the alternatives, which MPs, of course, couldn’t agree on – but whichever model people want, and I heard people saying we should have a Norwegian model or a Customs Union as the Labour Party say. But, whichever model of arrangement we want to have with the European Union requires the Withdrawal Agreement.”
He continued: “If we want to leave the European Union on the 22 May and have a smooth and orderly exit, we have to vote for the arrangements today.”
He then warned: “Those who don’t vote for it will introduce a new cliff-edge and uncertainty into the debate, and it won’t take us any further into what the alternatives may be on the other side of this Withdrawals Agreement.”
Munchetty was still frustrated by Fox’s lack on an answer and was confused on what the Conservatives’ and May’s plan is moving forward, and whether or not she will resign should the deal go through or not.
“If she doesn’t get this deal though, I’m still confused as to what happens with regards to who our Prime Minister is,” Munchetty said.
Fox explained: “Well, the Prime Minister has said that she will step down when the agreement is through, and she will not be negotiating the second part of this which is our future relationship with the European Union.”
“Ok,” Munchetty began, “Say she does get this deal through, who is going to be negotiating the second part of the deal if it’s not her? What happens with the Conservative party? What happens in terms of getting prompt leadership so you can make these deadlines of the 12th of April and the 22nd of May?”
“Well, the future negotiations, assuming we get the bill through today, would be that on the 22 May we would leave the European Union, then we would prepare for those negations,” replied Fox.
The country will be poised to see what happens this afternoon in Parliament as they vote once again on May’s Brexit deal.
This came after Munchetty scolded her co-host, Mike Bushell, for not having his microphone on while they were live on air.
BBC Breakfast airs weekdays at 6am on BBC One.
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