'Absolute CHAOS' Radio host skewers Labour MP after claiming 'absolute clarity' on Brexit
LABOUR Remainer David Lammy has been roasted over the Labour party’s stance on Brexit after he claimed his party had been “absolutely clear” on its vision for Britain.
BBC Radio 4 Westminster Hour host Carolyn Quinn ripped into the MP after he hailed shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement that his party would back the UK staying in the single market and the customs union during a prolonged post-Brexit transition period.
The politician took a swipe at Theresa May’s handling of the EU divorce as he insisted “it’s really for the Government to come clear on these issues” but was soon scolded by the presenter.
Quinn fired back: “Well, the issue has been for Labour to come clear though in recent months because we’ve had various positions put forward haven’t we? From John McDonnell, from Jeremy Corbyn.
David Lammy was roasted over the Labour party's stance on Brexit
The issue has been for Labour to come clear though in recent months because we’ve had various positions put forward haven’t we?
“Graham Stringer as you will know, a Eurosceptic veteran MP, he told me this week that it looks like absolute chaos this new policy and that staying in the single market after a temporary transition would amount to a betrayal of the electorate.
“Your colleague Caroline Flint says that the idea that we should approach this bill ‘with a load of wrecking amendments, I don’t think the public will thank us for it, there are people in the Labour party that want to use this process to overturn the result and I think that’s misguided’.
“Do you think that some of your colleagues are perhaps hanging onto this the hope that Brexit won’t happen at all?”
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But Mr Lammy attempted to defend his position despite confirming he would be voting against the EU Withdrawal Bill “in any circumstances” earlier in the programme.
He replied: “I respect both of those colleagues that you mention but I disagree with them. It’s not controversial to say that the Labour party found itself in a position where upon the Brexit vote there were big divisions…
“But as time has gone on and people have looked at this in a hard-headed way it’s clear also that we have to put the economy first.”
The MP insisted his party’s change in tone towards the single market and customs union was it “responding to the electorate”.