Ben Everitt, MP for Milton Keynes North, was yesterday (9/12) caught in an awkward interview on the possible eventualities of a no-deal Brexit.
With the end of the transition period - 31st December - fast approaching, the Government is facing increased pressure as a deal with the European Union has not yet been agreed.
The Prime Minister has this week jetted off to Brussels as a make-or-break attempt to salvage a Brexit deal, but it has since been reported that a no-deal is looking likely.
And yesterday (9/12), Ben Everitt MP was invited onto BBC 5 Live to talk to Emma Barnett about what a no-deal Brexit could mean for the country.
During the interview, he stated that "people are right to be worried" and when quizzed about why, he struggled to answer.
"Because things might happen," Ben added. "That is the spate of life."
š£ People are right to be worried
— BBC Radio 5 Live (@bbc5live) December 9, 2020
š What are you worried about?
š£ I might have to come back to you on that
Conservative MP @Ben_Everitt tells @Emmabarnett āthings might happenā if no Brexit deal is agreed
š» @BBCSounds pic.twitter.com/H3rGOhAvpq
Emma Barnett, who appeared rather confused, then proceeded to probe the MP and requested he expand on his answer, which resulted in Ben responding: "You are highlighting either hypothetical or possible situations that could occur in the event of a possible outcome."
The interviewer then flipped the question to ask what Ben himself is worried about, to which he said "I might have to come back to you on that one".
He added that there are "lots of things that we don't know" and "lots of uncertainties surrounding a trade deal", but refused to give any specific examples that the interviewer requested.
And it seems that Emma Barnett did not settle for his answer, as once more she quizzed the MP about people's worries in the event of a no-deal.
He answered: "I'm elected to represent people and do the best thing for our country. So if you're asking me, do I worry about all the things people worry about in this country, the answer is yes of course. Parliamentarians wear that kind of stuff the whole time. We are human and we are elected to look after the people of this country, and look after our country's interests."
The awkward conversation was then topped by Emma Barnett relaying that according to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), an independent public body, a no-deal Brexit could reduce the GDP by 2% - on top of the impact of coronavirus. The OBR states that this could result in 300,000 more job losses by this time next year.
"This isn't the most positive of conversations," Ben hit back. "And if you are asking me whether something that something I should be worried about is making me worried then absolutely yes. We are elected to do the right thing, we're elected to drive the interests of our country forward but nobody is blind to the fact that this is a very important situation."
He added that the Government is prepared for the said situation, but did not give any specific data and simply repeated what the Government is currently doing to "keep the show on the road".
This cringe-worthy interview, which was shared on BBC 5 Live's Twitter page, has since received hundreds of likes, comments, and retweets.
It has also been likened to Jeremy Paxman's famous grilling of Michael Howard which saw the broadcaster ask the Conservative MP the same question 12 times.
This news comes as it has been announced that Ben Everitt MP himself will be on MKFM next week. He will be looking back at his first year as MP for Milton Keynes North whilst answering your questions.
Residents can submit questions that they would like to ask Ben by emailing news@mkfm.com.
© MKFM News 2020
