Andrew Marr: Why are this lot trying to make enemies of our neighbours?
13 June 2022, 18:16 | Updated: 13 June 2022, 18:21
The only way to deal with dilemmas surrounding Brexit and the ongoing migrant crisis is international cooperation - not making enemies, Andrew Marr has said.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Opening LBC's Tonight with Andrew Marr, the presenter referred to the two big stories from Monday - Liz Truss' new law to override part of the Brexit deal over problems with the Northern Ireland protocol and the first flight taking asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda being given the go ahead.
"Quite a lot of things tie these seemingly very different stories together," Andrew said.
"They both make a lot of noise - headlines, protests, outrage. But look closer and in both cases, there's less there than you think.
"It might take 18 months to get the new Irish legislation, which is opposed by hard-line Tory Brexiters, through Westminster - by which time this lot might no longer even be there."
Watch Tonight with Andrew Marr exclusively on Global Player every Monday to Thursday from 6pm to 7pm
'Why are this lot trying to make enemies of our neighbours?'
He continued: "On Rwanda, because of successful legal challenges, the number of people on that plane looks like being in single figures… and there's no sign at all of people being deterred from crossing the Channel.
"Either it'll have to be a pretty small plane, or it's a massive waste of taxpayers' money.
"Other similarities - they're both answers to questions which don't have answers.
"On Ireland, there has to be a border somewhere, and wishing there wasn't doesn't quite cut it.
"On the refugees, nobody's found a way of stopping them, short of sinking the boats.
You can also listen to the podcast Tonight with Andrew Marr only on Global Player.
"Last similarity… the only way out of each dilemma is international cooperation - compromises - deal-making.
"We need the active, creative help of Dublin on the border.
"We need the active, creative help of Paris and Brussels on refugee flows.
"So why are this lot trying to make enemies of our neighbours? It makes no sense."
