Iain Dale Gets Tough With ERG MP: “You’re Putting Brexit At Risk!”

14 February 2019, 19:59

A Conservative MP who abstained from tonight’s Brexit vote was warned he and his pro-Leave colleagues risked scuppering Brexit altogether.

Marcus Fysh was one of a number of Tory ERG members who abstained as Theresa May’s latest Brexit plans were defeated in the Commons.

In a humiliating loss for the Prime Minister, a majority of 45 MPs voted against a motion endorsing the Government’s negotiation strategy.

Downing Street insisted Mrs May would continue in talks with Brussels unchanged.

Mr Fysh defended his decision to abstain, saying supporting the motion would have amounted to an endorsement of efforts to rule out a no-deal Brexit.

But, he instantly felt the wrath of Iain Dale.

“Aren’t you and your colleagues in the ERG the useful idiots,” the LBC presenter thundered.

“Because what you are doing at the moment is threatening us leaving the European Union on 29th March because if a deal does not go through, Parliament won’t allow us to leave with no deal.

"Therefore, Article 50 will be extended and if that happens then you run the risk of us not leaving the European Union at all."

Meanwhile, it has emerged Five Tory MPs - Brexiteers Peter Bone, Sir Christopher Chope, Philip Hollobone, and Anne Marie Morris, and the pro-Remain Sarah Wollaston - even voted with the opposition against the motion.

Following the vote, Jeremy Corbyn said the Government needed a new strategy that could bring MPs together and avoid the "catastrophe" of no-deal.