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Alastair Campbell has been a busy boy this week. The former Labour supremo dished out a ferocious tongue-lashing to Brexit backers and the BBC on Thursday, and his latest media round has been just as devastating for the ‘Vote Leave’ camp.
One Brexiteer in particular has copped the most flak. Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former minister for Brexit opportunities, tried to launch his own salvo on Sunday. The senior Tory was challenged to list the benefits the UK has received since divorcing itself from the EU in 2016.
His selections were… interesting, to say the least. Mr. Rees-Mogg led with the claim that Brexit helped prevent Russia from successfully invading Ukraine last year, arguing that the UK would have otherwise had its hands tied by ‘sincere cooperation’ agreements.
He also reasoned that leaving the EU allowed Britain to secure trade deals with other nations such as Australia, and the vote – in his words – ‘restored sovereignty within the United Kingdom’. However, his point of view was picked apart forensically by Alastair Campbell.
The EU-aligned politician and broadcaster took a sledgehammer to JRM’s arguments, immediately dismissing any links between Brexit and Vladimir Putin’s failure to run through Ukraine and its defences. He also took aim at recent trade deals and British sovereignty.
Towards the end of the interview, Campbell held back the laughter – but did admit that Rees-Mogg’s list had ‘cheered him up’, largely because he had failed to name any benefit that is a direct consequence of Brexit.
“On Ukraine, that has nothing to do with being outside of the EU. The trade deals with Australia and nations are either cut and paste of what we had with the EU, or they are miniscule in comparison to what we had before Brexit.”
“Is that the best he can do, as a former minister of Brexit opportunities? It underlines to me that things are going very badly. The whole thing about sovereignty is the myth. That was always there for the UK… This has cheered me up. He can’t name a singe benefit.” | Alastair Campbell
