This mayoral candidate’s position on Brexit is as clear as mud
Although the pro-Leave lobby insists it knows exactly what was voted for in the binary referendum, and Labour insists nothing is off the table, there are a lot of people out there who don’t seem to have a clear position on Brexit. When ITV’s political correspondent for The North, Joe Pike, interviewed the Labour candidate for the mayoral election in North of Tyne, he asked him for his thoughts on Brexit and he got this answer.
WATCH: Jamie Driscoll – Labour's candidate to be the new North of Tyne Mayor – struggles to explain his position on #Brexit.
It is unclear whether he:
-Wants Brexit to happen or not.
-Wants a second referendum or not.@itvtynetees pic.twitter.com/43acaTou3l— Joe Pike (@joepike) February 20, 2019
“What we need is a Brexit that will deliver …We need a choice of whether we’re going to have a Brexit …
What we need is a clear Brexit option – there has not yet been one before Parliament.”
Joe: Are you pro or anti Brexit?
“I think you’re trying to simplify a question that is not simple.”
The verbal car crash seemed par for the course in these turbulent times.
https://twitter.com/PeterKGeoghegan/status/1098364569787994113
This is an amazingly painful masterclass in How Not To Do An Interview by the new Momentum Labour candidate for North of Tyne mayor. You can see the desperation in his face, and all he's been asked is "do you want Brexit to happen?" https://t.co/EUTOgXDIHF
— Mark Wallace (@wallaceme) February 20, 2019
https://twitter.com/emmagafielding/status/1098367457113325570
This has made me cry with laughter.
— Hugo Gye (@HugoGye) February 20, 2019
Guardian podcast producer, Rachel Humphreys, had a stab at interpreting his answer.
God Joe it's so obvious, he wants a Brexit, a clear Brexit option, but not that Brexit, not that Brexit at all
— Rachel Humphreys (@rachel_hump) February 20, 2019
Whilst fellow journalist Neil Barbour made a suggestion.
What he wants it a Jexit. An exit from Joe.
— Neil Barbour (@nellybabs) February 20, 2019
I’d say we can be absolutely certain of that.