The cabinet office minister Michael Gove was grilled by Adam Boulton over his party’s decision to not announce their assessment of the economic impact of the current Brexit deal.
The Conservatives lack of transparency in publishing their economic report lead to the former justice secretary David Gauke announcing that he would be standing as an independent candidate and backing a second referendum.
Sky News’ Adam Boutlon tells Gove: “You are asking people to vote Conservative for a pig in the poke on this, as David Gauke points out we don’t know what your assessment of the economic impact of what you plan is. You could have published it, you haven’t.”
Gove replies: “No. I’m a great fan of David’s in many respects but this is one issue he has got wrong.”
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However, when Boutlon tells Gove that it is a fact his party hasn’t released their assessment, a flustered Gove says: “It’s pretty clear what the nature of the relationship will be and the economic benefits that will flow.”
“Why not tell us?” asks Boulton, before Gove stutters and attempts to suggest previous economic suggestions, such as in the 2016 referendum, were off the mark.
“So it would be a mistake to say this is exactly what is going to happen with a degree of exactitude,” Gove claims before Boulton suggests the point of government is to best strive to prepare for these eventualities.
“The treasury has been working on it and they’re not telling the British people about it,” Boulton said.
“I think the key thing is, the real pig in the poke would be an economic projection produced by anyone that professes to say that they can work out within an percentage point what the economic impact will be,” Gove surmised.
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