‘I can’t see why you’re laughing’: BBC’s Andrew Marr clashes with Home Secretary Priti Patel during interview as he highlights business fears about hard Brexit
Priti Patel clashed with the BBC’s Andrew Marr today as he accused her of smirking at fears over Brexit.
The extraordinary rebuke came as the Home Secretary defended the government’s tough stance towards negotiations with the EU.
Marr reeled off a list of industry groups who had raised concerns about having a much looser relationship with the bloc.
He said the bodies – including from the chemical, food and aerospace sectors – were at the ‘forefront’ of the economy and had raised ‘serious risks’ about ‘consumer food safety, innovation and investment’.
But Marr interrupted his list to observe that Ms Patel – who was being interviewed by video link rather than in the studio – appeared to be smiling.
‘I can’t see why you are laughing,’ the presenter said.
During the interview with Priti Patel today, Andrew Marr reeled off a list of industry groups who had raised concerns about having a much looser relationship with the EU
Marr interrupted his list to observe that Ms Patel – who was being interviewed by video link rather than in the studio – appeared to be smiling
Ms Patel insisted many of the fears were out of date and argued that was why the government had been making preparations.
She said ministers were looking at ‘alternative arrangements’ for intelligence and data sharing, but denied it feared an upsurge of Irish republican terrorism in the event of no-deal.
‘That is not the case at all,’ she said.
‘Our security arrangements will be based upon the type of tools, the type of shared intelligence forums and the data sharing platforms that we currently have, but again looking at alternative arrangements in which we can share that intelligence and information and data.
‘We have been working on that over the last three months.’
She added: ‘When it comes to security tools and security co-operation there are many measures that are being put in place right now in preparedness for no-deal. Those include a range of security tools that we have been working on.
‘Specifically to Northern Ireland, we are very conscious and we are working with all organisations, agencies to ensure that we remain safe.’