The Brexit Party’s candidate in the Peterborough by-election could only say that he hadn’t ‘gone into the detail’ when he was asked to back up claims that the EU gives us less control in addressing education and child poverty.
Speaking on the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme, Mike Greene in full flow claiming that if Britain leaves the EU, “We’ll have more control about what we do in education, what we do for child poverty, how we spend the money that’s going to the EU at the moment.”
Radio 4’s interviewer Ross Hawkins asked: “So which bit of European law or administration or bureaucracy is stopping us from doing something you specifically would like to do to address problems in education and child poverty?”
There was a long pause after that.
“I haven’t gone into the detail of legal, specific laws but what I do know is that we’re more hampered by laws that are being put in place by people who aren’t elected,” said Greene.
'Which bit of EU law is stopping us improving education or tackling child poverty?'
— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) May 14, 2019
Brexit Party candidate Mike Greene after a long pause: "I haven't gone into the detail of specific laws."@rosschawkins | #r4today | https://t.co/HMBErpadDX pic.twitter.com/5wUEDdCNze
EU laws are put in place by heads of member states and MEPs, who approve, disapprove or amend proposed legislation from the European Commission.
The Brexit Party candidate’s previous claim to fame was appearing on Channel 4’s The Secret Millionaire.
READ: ‘Secret Millionaire’ is Brexit Party’s by-election candidateThe by-election was triggered by a recall petition after MP Fiona Onasanya was found guilty of perverting the course of justice, a verdict that was upheld on appeal.
Onasanya has decided not to contest the election.