Richard Spurr 1am - 4am
James O'Brien: Why Has It Taken 18 Months For Cabinet's First Brexit Trade Meeting?
18 December 2017, 13:44
"It's an absolute travesty," James said, after apologising to Brexiteers for his unforgivable habit of being right about everything regarding Brexit and the European Union.
The Prime Minister will hold Brexit cabinet talks to discuss Britain's future trading relationship with the EU for the first time, more than 18 months since the EU membership referendum.
Theresa May will insist she intends to finalise trade deals during the transition period, something that pits her against Brussels, the EU having signalled it would not be feasible under their proposed terms.
James O'Brien said he knows he winds up Brexiteers with his "unforgivable habit of being right about everything" with regards to the EU and Brexit, but felt they would be in agreement with him on this point.
He continued, saying it was "an absolute travesty" for the Cabinet to take more than 18 months since the Leave vote, and nine months since Article 50 was triggered, to begin discussing trade.
"They haven't had a conversation about it yet - the first proper Cabinet-level confab about the single most significant thing to happen, politically speaking, voluntarily since the Second World War.
"The most important political development in the history of these islands, since the Second World War, and the people who are in charge of it, only today, 18 months after it became desired and about nine months after they triggered Article 50 which started the countdown, today they're having their first meeting about it."
Watch the smackdown above.