‘Where’s your evidence?’ Andrew Neil GRILLS Remoaner over Russia ‘conspiracy’ claims
ANDREW NEIL tore into ardent Remainer AC Grayling for his claims that Russian interference had influenced the outcome of the EU referendum in 2016.
'That's not evidence' Andrew Neil SHUTS DOWN Brexit conspiracy
Speaking on This Week about allegations that members of the leave campaign had contact with Russian officials in the run-up to the Brexit vote, Andrew Neil demanded the academic AC Grayling substantiate his claim that Russian influence had swung the election result.
He asked: “What evidence is there that the Russians had any influence on the Brexit referendum?”
Mr Grayling replied: “I think there’s been some very remarkable investigative journalism done by the Observer.
“It looks as though Mr Banks and Mr Wigmore, before the parliamentary committee, did not deny that they’d been having lunches with the Russian ambassador.”
Mr Neil replied: “Lots of people have lunch with the Russian ambassador.
What is the evidence that the Russians attempted to influence the referendum? You haven’t got the evidence
“What is the evidence that the Russians attempted to influence the referendum? You haven’t got the evidence.
Mr Grayling admitted: “I don’t myself, no.”
Mr Neil pressed: “But you made the claim. You’ve claimed that we wouldn’t even have voted for Brexit if it hadn’t been for the Russians.”
Mr Grayling responded with his concerns about campaign overspending and contact between prominent leaders of the Leave campaign with foreign actors.
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Mr Neil concluded: “But none of that’s evidence at all. Not a single bit of evidence that would survive a minute in court.”
The two were debating the impact of an explosive investigation published by the Sunday Times last week which alleged that Arron Banks, the co-founder of Leave.EU, and other key leave figures met with Russian officials multiple times in the run-up to the Brexit referendum.
Mr Banks, who donated £12m to Nigel Farage’s campaign to leave the EU, has repeatedly denied any involvement with Russia, or that Russian money played any part in the Brexit campaign.
In an interview with Nigel Farage the following day, he slammed the investigation as “four pages of smoke from a single match.”