GB News presenter Patrick Christys struggled to get a word in as he helmed a debate between Daily Express columnist Carole Malone and journalist Benjamin Butterworth over whether Brexit was a mistake. Butterworth was insistent it was a mistake, claiming the UK is "missing out" on trade due to the vote. However, Malone gave him the actual facts and figures as the pair spoke over each other.
Trade deals and economic claims
"The fact is that our economy is struggling to be better because of the EU," Butterworth insisted. The boss of Marks and Spencer specifically talked about the fact that, for example, in Ireland it used to take one document to export food and drink there to sell. Now it takes 200 documents, adds 10s of millions of pounds. "Now, if a great British company like that cannot do business with EU countries to drive British jobs and help the British economy..." he said.
Malone pointed out the mistakes in his rhetoric: "There's a guy called... It's not me. It's a guy called Mario Draghi who was Italy's PM for 13 years and also one of the world's best economists. In 2024, he did a report on the EU and said it was in terminal decline. He said it could never recover because it's never going to be able to compete with China or the US, and he listed all the reasons why, because they've not invested enough money."
Butterworth's counterpoints
Butterworth interjected, insisting: "Yet it's still our biggest trading partner, absolutely by a mile." When an incredulous Malone asked if he knew how many trade deals the UK had done since leaving the EU, Butterworth insisted he didn't.
Laying out the facts, she told him the figure was 70. "Actually, a lot of those are huge. We did one last year with all the Arab countries. Incredible deal. We did an incredible deal with Japan. Incredible deal with Australia," she said.
Unperturbed, Butterworth shot back: "If we do all these incredible deals, then why does no one have a job, and why is there no economic growth for 10 years?" Malone responded: "There has been economic growth. We've had more growth than most of the European countries. Are you not listening?" "The only growth is in the hot air about the Brexiteers," he sniffed.
Host finally interjects
Finally managing to get a word in, Christys said: "Should we join the euro? Have free movement of people? Rejoin the customs union so that the Marks and Spencers...can find it easier to get Paninis to Paris." Butterworth responded: "Well, Paninis pay the bills for people in this country. You show how condescending the Brexit argument is," he slammed the host. "You talk down to people."
Malone jumped back in as Butterworth continued to speak. "You said there'd been no growth. Okay, between 2016 and 2020. Just listen. You might learn something. The UK led cumulative real GDP growth in the four big European countries. So, UK 13.2%, France 12.8%, Italy 10.7%, Germany way ahead of all of that. This is real growth."
The argument continued as Malone shot down his figures about tech and AI development, leading a defeated Butterworth to finally acknowledge the host, saying: "Give Patrick a chance."
