Video
Brexiteer MP mocked for refusing to say ‘banned’ Brexit term
Theresa Villiers is interviewed by BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Emma Barnett. Photograph: BBC/LBC. - Credit: Archant
Tory Brexiteer Theresa Villiers left a radio host in disbelief after she refused to use a Brexit phrase supposedly banned by Downing Street.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live host Emma Barnett the former cabinet minister referred to a no deal exit from the EU as an "Australian type trading relationship".
When this was pointed out to Barnett by a listener she quizzed the Chipping Barnet MP why this was the case.
Villiers said: "The reference to an Australia type trading relationship with the European Union does indeed reflect not having a free trade agreement and trading on WTO terms is something we do with many of our trading partners very successfully."
In the video Barnett is seen shaking her head and looking at the camera bemused by what she is hearing.
Despite being fired by Boris Johnson a week before, the former minister appeared to stay on message with a leaked memo which suggested Downing Street has banned a number of terms including 'deal' and 'no deal'.
You may also want to watch:
"The outcome is we have a choice between a free trade agreement or leaving the European Union based on the exit treaty we already have," Villiers added.
"I just think terminologically it's not accurate to say there is no deal as there has been a deal which has been agreed which covers certain aspect of our relationship with European Union and the terms in which we leave, it just doesn't cover trade.
Most Read
- 1 Nigel Farage loses nearly 50,000 followers after Twitter suspends QAnon accounts
- 2 Progressive alliance could see Labour win 351 seats at next election, new analysis reveals
- 3 Tory minister admits UK rejected EU's music visa offer in order to 'take back control' of borders
- 4 What Auf Wiedersehen, Pet teaches us about Britain and Europe
- 5 Fifteen ways to fix Britain
- 6 Michel Barnier tells UK to be 'very careful' in Brexit diplomatic status row
- 7 The rocky road to Rejoin
- 8 The polling that signals the plight of the Union
- 9 ‘Don’t haste ye back’ - Nicola Sturgeon's perfect farewell message to Donald Trump
- 10 Brexiteer says he'd never have voted for Brexit 'if we knew we'd lose our jobs'
"The phrase became loaded with this idea of a cliff edge and I just think the risks and the potential issues are not nearly as great as they were in the event we left the European Union without an exit treaty."
Barnett continued to press the MP who remained adamant that a deal had been sort, just that it did not cover trade.
"There is a deal," Villers said, "an exit treaty which covers citizen's rights and the divorce payments.
"It is not the same as a scenario where leaving at the end of the year without a trade agreement would not lead to the same level of dislocation which would have been the case if we had left without an exit treaty."
Despite not saying no deal, Villiers ended the interview by giving a Brexit warning.
She said: "[Britain] does need to prepare for the eventually of leaving without a trade agreement."
Become a Supporter
The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.
