James O'Brien's Epic Analysis Of Theresa May's Time As Prime Minister
9 November 2017, 11:24 | Updated: 9 November 2017, 11:27
James O'Brien insists Theresa May has been put in an impossible position by having to deliver a Brexit she knows will be impossible.
It's been another difficult week for the Prime Minister, having seen two Cabinet Ministers resign, Michael Fallon and Priti Patel.
That follows a disastrous conference speech and increasing difficulties with Brexit negotiations, leading to more and more speculation about how long her government can last.
Many people expected James to be critical of Mrs May. But he said he feels sorry for her.
Speaking on his LBC show, he said: "It's an impossible position that she's in.
"Her entire government has been charged with delivering a lie. And because the entire government is built upon a deceitful pledge, the notion that we can be better off out of the European Union than we are in it, and because she, like the Chancellor, knows that that's not possible and is possessed of a moral integrity, I do believe, that refuses to allow her to lie.
"Theresa May won't do that, she won't pretend that she can't see what's going to happen. She sees her job as having to minimise the damage, but she can't tell the public that her job is to minimise the damage because then the newspaper editor whose party she attended last night would line her up alongside the "Enemies of the people"- independent judiciary- the "Saboteurs"- representative parliamentary democracy- and, well, everybody else he hates, every other thing he hates like academic freedom and women.
"She is fearful that if she goes and Boris Johnson and Michael Gove's wing of the Conservative Party somehow take over, things will be infinitely worse.
"She's terrified of what Jeremy Corbyn represents, rightly or wrongly, I don't still don't know, I still withhold judgment on that.
"She's terrified of the prospect of train drivers getting pay rises that bring them into line with approximately one fiftieth of the Boss's wage. I mean, that way madness lies, according to the Theresa May world view.
"And she can't control her own Cabinet because it has nothing to do with politics. The performance of the Foreign Secretary has nothing to do with the Foreign Office, the performance of the Secretary of State for International Development has nothing to do with how good she is promoting international development. The role of the Chancellor has nothing to do with how good he is as a Chancellor.
"It's all about Brexit. And it's all mad, absolutely and incontrovertibly insane.
"But it's also home which is why you can't stop caring. And it's also you know a wonderful, beautiful country. That's why so many people have come here to make their lives, it's why so many of us have managed to do better in life than our parents and it's all about to change, it's all about to go backwards.
"And she knows this. Which is why I feel sorry for her."
