Video
Brexiteer cannot name one EU rule he disagrees with
JD Weatherspoon boss with Brexiteers Boris Johnson, Priti Patel and Michael Gove. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA. - Credit: PA Archive/PA Images
Pub chain boss Tim Martin was unable to name a single rule that the European Union imposes that he does not agree with.
In conversation with the left-wing journalist Owen Jones for the Guardian, the Wetherspoon owner was asked which law he did not like.
After thinking for a few seconds, he said 'it's too dissective to boil it down to that.'
He added: 'Let me give you one example of the EU, there was huge pressure to join to the predecessor of the Euro, which was the exchange rate mechanism.'
But Jones rightly points out 'that was a voluntarily decision, we weren't compelled to join the ERM.'
You may also want to watch:
Martin persisted: '70% of the people thought it was inevitable that the UK would join'.
MORE: Brexiteer's pub chain profits take another knock
But Jones remarks that 'we didn't join the Euro'.
Most Read
- 1 The EU has moved on from Brexit... and Europeans have moved on from Britain
- 2 The true cost of Brexit is becoming clearer
- 3 Food industry predicts empty shelves and price rises in latest Brexit dividend
- 4 MATT FREI: Brexit posed a question... and we haven't even begun to answer it
- 5 Brexit: British 'expats' in Spain facing deportation over residency
- 6 Britain’s message of hope to Europe on the referendum’s 5th anniversary
- 7 Ed Davey rejects Labour alliance in wake of by-election victory
- 8 Where the fires of Brexit still burn fiercest
- 9 Priti Patel accuses EU countries of treating British people unfairly
- 10 How Boris Johnson went from Francophile to Francophobe
The pub boss continued: 'I don't like the Eurozone, I think it's very dangerous to be in.'
Again Jones points out we are not in the Eurozone.
This appeared to nark Martin, who was less than impressed by the persistant questioning.
'You shouldn't interrupt me so much if you want a decent reply.'
MORE: People are being sent copies of Wetherspoon News... and they are not happy
Jones apologetically said: 'All I'll say is the reason I'm struggling is I think there are many valid criticisms to be made in the EU.
'But you haven't come up with a single law you object to from the European Union, and you brought up the Eurozone, which we aren't even a member of.
'If the Eurozone goes badly wrong, it's irrelavent whether we're in the EU or not, because we're not in the Eurozone.'
Martin thinks for a moment and then continues to explain why he is unable to give a clear answer.
'How would I know whether it's an individual law? I'm a barrister, it's almost impossible to know whether an individual law is made by the EU or the UK.'
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.
