‘Is that it?’: Gove unable to say how Brexit ‘made business easier’ when asked six times on R4
Principal Brexiteer michael Gove was unable to name a ‘single benefit’ of Brexit, as business leaders warn of continued economic strain.
The levelling up secretary appeared to falter while speaking on Radio 4’s Today Programme this morning, asked no less than six times how firms would benefit from the UK’s departure from the EU.
This comes as businesses called on the government not to scrap all EU legislation, with the CBI (Confederation of British Industries) claiming the end of frictionless trade will force the UK’s GDP to drop four per cent.
Host Nick Robinson said business leaders can “name all the problems” with Brexit, including increased paperwork and costs.
“Can you name a single thing that’s made my businesses easier to do? How have you made the lives of businesses easier by leaving the EU”.
The senior Tory referenced the scrapping of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), saying during his time as environment secretary he was responsible for the food and drink sector.
“We got rid of CAP and we’re replacing with a system of public finance for public goods”. Pressed on how it made businesses’ lives easier, he added: “It means the people in the sector.. have a more rational method of support from the government”.
He added that there is now a “growing market in environmental goods”.
Robinson retorted, that if he was from the CBI, he’d be asking “is that it?”
“How has the life of people trying to create jobs, create profits.. been improved by Brexit?”
Gove replied the UK is “now in control of our own migration policy” saying he thought it helped business because “the points based system allows us to prioritise those who have the skills and talents that we need. It also means we can control migration in unskilled and other sectors”.
Robinson claimed it may be a bonus but it’s “not one that helps Britain get richer”.