'We have not made a mistake': Ex-MEP stands defiant on Article 16 fiasco

30 January 2021, 12:04

Andrew Castle debate with German MEP over article 16

The former head of the EU's foreign affairs committee dismissed the gravity of the bloc's triggering of Article 16.

Elmar Brok is a former MEP and he joined Andrew Castle following the EU's backtracking on triggering Article 16 of the Brexit agreement.

Mr Brok argued that the EU's action didn't warrant an apology, reminding Andrew of the UK's proposed Internal Markets Bill: "I have not heard an apology from Boris Johnson as he said that part of the withdrawal agreement would be abolished."

Andrew brought the former MEP back on topic, asking "who's fault was this yesterday night?"

Mr Brok insisted that Article 16 "was never put into practice so it should be fine."

"Why is it so hard just to say this was a mistake driven by the embarrassment of an appalling rollout of vaccination?"

Andrew fumed: "This isn't triumphant Brexiteer language."

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Mr Brok stood defiant: "We have not made a mistake," he maintained.

He took aim at AstraZeneca for allegedly not holding their side of their deal with the EU in vaccine distribution. He insisted that "it should be fulfilled" and the Union will have a "good solution" in the long run.

"If you produce in the European Union, then you fulfil your task in the European Union."

Mr Brok said that the EU and UK "should fight together" against the virus and not allow vaccine nationalism get in the way of a new relationship.

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