‘That might be more of a problem’ – Clueless Brexiteer left stumped during interview

Bridgen was asked by RTE Radio 1 host Audrey Carville for more details about his post-Brexit plans for Ireland when he quickly became stuck.

Carville’s first specific instance was about a Polish worker living in the South of Ireland and working in Northern Ireland, which Bridgen abashedly claimed would be an instance where a permit would now be required, but that it was not a ‘huge issue’ and ‘can easily be sorted out.’

Pressed further about who would check these permits for crossing the Irish border, the Brexiteer insisted that they could be checked by workplaces.

‘So there would be inspectors in my workplace checking my permit every day?’ asked the radio host.

‘No, no, your ID would be checked when you get the job. You’ll have to have a work permit to work.’

It was, however, an specific instance of taxi drivers crossing the border where the Tory MP became most stuck.

‘If I’m a taxi driver and I’m asked to drive from Buncrana, County Donegal, across the border into Derry city, can I do that?’

Stuttering through his answers with seconds of radio silence Bridgen insisted that despite providing services either side of the border that ‘business will continue exactly as it does now’ – but his voice sounded full of doubt.

Radio presenter Carville was especially unconvinced.

‘And what about getting my insurance for my taxi… if I can get cheaper insurance on either side of the border, how do I do it under your plan?’

‘Yeah that might be more of a problem…’

The MP was also asked about the ‘142 areas of north/south cooperation’ on the island that requires EU underpinning to make them work. Again this was news to Bridgen.

‘I’m not sure they need EU unpinning, I’m not aware they’re party to the Good Friday agreement…’

The Brexiteer attempted to argue that the EU was not required to maintain these areas of cooperation, and accused the bloc of trying to ‘annexe off Northern Ireland from the UK’ to much disagreement from the radio host.

Finally Brigden was forced to deny that peace in Ireland was at risk in the Brexiteers’ bid to provide ‘constitutional integrity’ to the UK.

‘The biggest threat to peace on the island of Ireland,’ he argued, ‘is if the EU starts deciding unilatery they’re going to put a barrier between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom.’

Twitter user Oliver Farry tweeted: ‘Part of me feels for poor Bridgen, a lamb to the slaughter in this car crash interview on Morning Ireland. Only a very small part, mind. Woefully out of his depth.’

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