Diane Abbott FLOUNDERS as she tries to defend Stoke candidate's 'Brexit is s***' slur
DIANE ABBOTT was left lost for words as radio host Nick Robinson grilled her over Labour’s decision to pick a candidate who once called Brexit a “massive pile of s***” to stand in Leave-voting Stoke-on-Trent Central.
Diane Abbott lost for words as she defends Gareth Snell
The shadow home secretary went back and forth with the presenter on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme in an attempt to defend her party and candidate Gareth Snell.
The clash comes after Mr Snell, a councillor in nearby Newcastle Under Lyne, wrote on Twitter last year: “Soft Brexit, Hard Brexit, massive pile of s***. Sloppy Brexit, messy Brexit, quit, quit, quit."
The candidate has come out more recently to say he “won’t frustrate the triggering” of Article 50 if elected.
Robinson asked: “Why did you choose a candidate for the Stoke by-election, an area which is overwhelmingly in favour of leaving who described Brexit in words I can’t use?”
QT audience member says Brexit will be death of Labour
We’re not voting for Brexit, we’re going to vote to begin what will be a two-year process of leaving the EU
Ms Abbott replied: “I can’t speak to the candidate the selection.
“It’s a matter for the party, I was not on the panel, I was not on the shortlisting, I cannot speak to candidate selection, what I’m confident about is that the Labour candidate will be far better for the people of Stoke that anyone the Tories can drag up.”
Robinson fired back and asked: “Even though he thinks the people he wants to represent made a totally ridiculous decision?”
“That’s not what he said,” replied the Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP before being pushed once more by the presenter, who blasted: “He said Brexit was a pile of you know what.”
An awkward pause and a stutter followed before the MP repeated herself: “I can’t speak to the candidate selection, I am confident he is the right candidate for Stoke.”
Speaking about Labour’s decision to issue a three-line whip to MPs over voting in favour of activating article Article 50, Ms Abbott oddly insisted her party was “not voting for Brexit”.
“We’re not voting for Brexit, we’re going to vote to begin what will be a two-year process of leaving the EU,” she said.
“We will be seeking to amend the legislation the Government’s bringing forward.”
She then went on to say it would be “wrong” to vote against triggering Article 50.
Ms Abbott added: “How could MPs vote in a referendum and turn around and say ‘it went the wrong way so we’re ignoring it’? There’s a real democratic principle here and the vote on Wednesday begins the process.
“It’s not the beginning and the end but of course it’s a challenging situation for Labour.
“We have the top six most passionately pro-Leave constituencies and the top six most passionately pro-Remain constituencies – whoever was leading the party, this would prove a challenge.”