James O'Brien on the MPs celebrating the end of freedom of movement

1 July 2020, 14:07

This is James O'Brien's coruscating monologue responding to the Conservative MPs who tweeted celebrating the end of freedom of movement.

Priti Patel and Daniel Kawczynski were among the MPs who posted online, hailing the passing of the Immigration Bill and the beginning of the end for freedom of movement once the Brexit transition period finishes.

James was left baffled by what the positives are for ending one of your own freedoms.

He said: "Remember when we sat here and asked what the stuff was about 'Liberal tears'?

"Once it was clear that you were going to be worse off, there was going to be no money for the NHS, you were possibly going to lose your job, factories were going to close - leaving the European Union wasn't going to deliver a single measurable benefit to your life, but was going to rain down unpleasantness and avoidable misery like it was going out of fashion.

"I used to wonder what it was all about. Of course the message was 'Nothing's going to get better in my life, in fact it's going to get worse. But I'm already miserable and morally bankrupt, so I take pleasure in your pain.

"And that's how a country ends up imposing economic sanctions on itself and celebrating the abolition of freedoms involved by its own citizens.

"So that's a fairly big couple of weights on the minus-side of the scale. What's on the plus side? What is the thing that makes it all worthwhile?

"'People like James O'Brien and Gary Lineker aren't very happy about it.'

"Is that really all you've got now?"

Watch his full monologue at the top of the page.