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26th Jan 2019

BBC presenter makes embarrassing suggestion that Ireland leave the EU and join the UK

In a show of staggering ignorance, John Humphrys suggested that a hard border could be avoided if Ireland leave the EU too, joining the UK

Carl Kinsella

It’s difficult to comprehend this level of ignorance

75-year-old BBC host John Humphrys, who has been the host of BBC Radio 4’s Today since 1987, asked the Irish Minister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee why Ireland don’t “throw their lot in with the UK” and leave the European Union.

McEntee reminded Humphrys that polling suggests as many as 92% of the Irish population want to remain in the EU.

The interview saw the pair discuss the looming threat of a hard border in Ireland if a deal cannot be struck by the UK and the EU by 29 March.

Elsewhere, Humphrys claimed that the people of the UK voted to leave the single market and customs union. McEntee again reminded him that this facet of Brexit was a government decision.

The interview has drawn widespread derision online.

Labour MP Ben Bradshaw also had very strong words for Humphrys, saying: “Gobsmacked to hear @BBCr4today’s John Humphrys suggest to an amazingly calm Irish politician that the solution to #Brexitshambles is for Ireland to leave the EU & rejoin the U.K! Such woeful ignorance of history & of modern day Ireland.”

Topics:

BBC,Brexit