Andrew Adonis Tells Nigel Farage Even His Brexit Plan Will Need Article 50 Delayed
27 January 2019, 14:07
Lord Andrew Adonis tells Nigel Farage that even his Brexit plan would need Article 50 to be extended.
Labour peer and prominent Remainer said that it looks as though every other Brexit option to Theresa May's deal would need Article 50 extended.
Andrew Adonis told Nigel Farage: "There's nothing that could be done now except for Theresa May's own deal because of course that could be agreed and be implemented by the end of March.
"If there's going to be a referendum, that requires an extension.
"If there's going to be a new deal, that requires an extension.
"I think actually your option Nigel, a WTO exit would require an extension now too because there would need to be preparations for doing that and those haven't been made.
"I'm in Parliament at the moment and I can tell you the preparations for what would happen at the end of March because Theresa May has been, to be blunt, so unprepared for this whole thing."
But when Nigel pointed out that extending Article 50 could result in contending the European elections, Andrew said it was "absurd" to be holding elections to a parliament which we might be leaving.
"You and I debate all the time your pension from the European Parliament, it may be about to get bigger because you might have to stand in an election!" he said.
"If the Article 50 period is extended, my own view is that we shouldn't hold European elections until it's clear whether we're staying in the EU or not.
"I think it's absurd us holding elections to a parliament which we might be leaving in a few months but there is this business of the law and if the law can't be can't be amended then it may be that we do have to have them."
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