Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid were joined by Emily Thornberry MP in the Good Morning Britain studios earlier today, where the Shadow Foreign Secretary was explaining why Labour rejected Boris Johnson’s call for a snap general election.
During her appearance, she was determined to clarify what Jeremy Corbyn’s and the Labour Party’s stance was on Brexit, but the conversation got heated when Morgan started questioning the details and those watching at home were subjected to the presenter grilling Thornberry to which she was only able to answer with one word.
Kicking off the interview, Reid asked her guest: “Why are you letting them [the Labour voters] down for not voting for a general election? You’ve had two opportunities to vote for one.”
Thornberry replied: “Because we really want one but we have to be careful about it, we’ve realised what he’s [Boris Johnson] up to. I’ve read the fixed term Parliament act, he wants to pocket the general election and then he decides the date because he’s such a liar. Trust me, he wants to lock us out of Parliament.”
But she was interrupted by Reid.
She enquired: “What are your worried about? Why are you worried about the date?”
“We will end up with a general election after the UK has crashed out of the EU,” Thornberry stated.
Morgan intervened and added: “I get your position, let me clarify your position. Correct me if I’m wrong. You intend to fight and win the election in the next few weeks if or should it ever happen, yes?”
“Yes,” Thornberry reluctantly replied and Morgan continued: “It’s a yes or no with these questions. I want real clarity. I’m going to ask you yes or no, confirm or deny various questions. You intend to win the election, yes? When you win the election, you intend as a party to go to the EU and renegotiate the [Brexit] deal?”
“Can I put it in my own words?” Thornberry hit back.
“No, I want you to answer the question! You can after, but this is yes or no. Do you intend to go to the EU and renegotiate? ” Morgan asserted.
READ MORE: ITV GMB: Nigel Farage furious over Boris Johnson’s plans
Piers Morgan slams Emily Thornberry over Labour’s ‘weak’ Brexit plan in heated clash (Image: ITV)
GMB: Viewers saw Morgan grill Thornberry (Image: ITV)
The MP took the dead silence as a chance to offer more than one-word answers: “Yes we need to renegotiate, Ms. May’s deal is nonsense and it’s dead.”
“So you’re going to negotiate a deal and the Labour government will then have a deal, which they will have brought back a better deal for the people from the European Union, yes?” Morgan continued and in response, Thornberry said: “Mhmm.”
“Then, your position if I understand it, you will then call a second referendum? Yes?” The presenter added and Thornberry answered meekly: “Yes.”
“And in the second referendum, you won’t actually be campaigning for your deal from the EU, you will campaign to remain against your own deal? Is it true, that last part?” Morgan stated.
“I want to hear the rest of your question,” Thornberry commented and Morgan said: “Is it a yes or no to that?”
After sighing, Morgan ignored Thornberry and carried on the grilling: “You want to remain in a referendum against…”
“To be fair, you should be proud of your own policy!” Reid stated.
GMB: Thornberry spoke about Labour’s stance and plan (Image: ITV)
GMB: Morgan and Reid were determined for straight answers (Image: ITV)
“What kind of deal do you think the Labour government is going to get if they intend to campaign against the deal and tell the country to stay in the EU?” Morgan grilled.
The Labour MP said: “We always said what we need to do is look after jobs and the economy, customs union, close agreement with single market. What we have to do is look after jobs and economy more than anything else, we need to have a referendum to have a deal that look after these.
“That wasn’t my question!” Morgan fumed. “Given your position is not to support a deal from the EU, why would you anticipate the EU would give you anymore deals?
“Your position is anything but catastrophically weak! Whatever deal you get back, you’re going to tell the country in a second referendum to remain!”
As for the government’s current position, Johnson shut down parliament in the early hours of the morning following chaotic scenes which saw his sixth parliamentary defeat in six days.
MPs voted to block a snap election and to force the publication of No 10’s preparations for a no deal Brexit.
GMB: Clarke spoke briefly about the PM’s position (Image: ITV)
It’s a yes or no with these questions.
Appearing later this morning on GMB, Conservative MP Simon Clarke spoke briefly about the Prime Minister’s plan.
“The government has really clear intentions to leave the EU with a deal, clearly parliament has had the chance to vote for an election twice in the last week,” the MP explained.
“The truth is, they lost six votes out of six. They can’t leave on October 31 legally,” Morgan stated. “If you don’t get a deal when you meet with the EU, how are you going to leave with no deal legally?”
“The Prime Minister will not seek an extension, he is going to test the law over the next month to find ways to allow us to leave,” Clarke revealed.
Reid wanted clarification and asked: “Testing the law how?” Clarke replied: “Looking at all ways possible. Parliament is trying to bind the Prime Ministers hands, parliament doesn’t back the government’s policy.”
Good Morning Britain airs weekday mornings at 6am on ITV.