David Cameron takes a Brexit roasting live on Sky News

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Prime Minister and Remain campaigner David Cameron took part in this EU referendum's first big TV debate last night as he was grilled live on Sky News by Sky News Political Editor Faisal Islam and a studio audience.

Islam was praised by many on social media after the hour-long grilling for the way he gave Cameron a hard time.

The Prime Minister rarely sounds this irritable in the House of Commons. “You’re sounding like the Brexit campaign!” he snapped at his interrogator. “This is a totally phoney statistic you’re about to deliver… You’re being completely glib… Incredibly glib…”

The political editor of Sky News fought back. “Which will come first, Prime Minister,” he asked dryly. “World War Three, or the Brexit recession?”

The audience roared with laughter.

Tonight it's the turn of Vote Leave campaigner Michael Gove to take part in a live Sky News grilling.

‘I know waffling when I see it!’ David Cameron takes a Brexit roasting

Michael Deacon Parliamentary Sketchwriter
2 June 2016
The Telegraph

David Cameron arrives for his interrogation about Brexit on Sky News Credit: Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA Wire

David Cameron and Faisal Islam sat separated by a bizarrely wide table. Odd though it looked, it was probably for the best. If they’d been able to reach each other, I dread to think what might have happened.

What a cross interview it was. The Prime Minister rarely sounds this irritable in the House of Commons. “You’re sounding like the Brexit campaign!” he snapped at his interrogator. “This is a totally phoney statistic you’re about to deliver… You’re being completely glib… Incredibly glib…”

The political editor of Sky News fought back. “Which will come first, Prime Minister,” he asked dryly. “World War Three, or the Brexit recession?”

The audience roared with laughter.

Prime Minister and Remain campaigner David Cameron endured intensive grilling last night from Sky News Political Editor Faisal Islam and a studio audience live on Sky News

Live on Sky News, this was the first big TV event of the EU referendum campaign. I say “event”, because it was no debate: the Prime Minister wouldn’t agree to one. The most he would agree to was to be interviewed live by Mr Islam, and then to take questions from the studio audience.

Mr Islam wanted to talk about immigration. Mr Cameron, however, wanted to talk about the economy. Every time he was asked about immigration, he changed the subject as swiftly as possible. He brought up the single market 10 times in the first 10 minutes – even though he hadn’t been asked about it.

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His interviewer reminded him of his previous pledge to bring immigration down to the tens of thousands. “That remains the right ambition for Britain,” replied Mr Cameron. Once, it was a promise. Now, it’s an ambition. Perhaps next it will be a dream.

On to the studio audience. During this campaign, Mr Cameron has taken countless questions from the public.

However, this has always been at their places of work, in front of their bosses – bosses who have generally introduced Mr Cameron with a little pro-EU speech of their own. It takes a brave employee to stand up at their place of work and contradict not only the Prime Minister but their employer.

Here, the public could feel free to say whatever they liked. And they certainly did. Mr Cameron found his answers interrupted, or disputed by his questioners.

One young woman told Mr Cameron she’d wanted to vote Remain – but had been appalled by his campaign, and was worried Turkey would join the EU. Then she broke into his answer to cry, “I’m an English literature student – I know waffling when I see it!” Mr Cameron smiled thinly.

“I’m an English literature student – I know waffling when I see it!”, said the young woman to Mr Cameron

Possibly confused about what the country is voting to decide on June 23, a woman told him that it was “time for this Government to go”.

Another woman called him a “hypocrite” for joining forces with Sadiq Khan. A man won applause for accusing him of “scaremongering”.

Mr Cameron was rather more polite to these opponents than he had been to Mr Islam, but you could sense his patience becoming strained. The studio audience didn’t think much of him, and he knew it.

It was no disaster. But if you wondered why Mr Cameron didn’t fancy a proper debate: now you know.

‘I know waffling when I see it!’ David Cameron takes a Brexit roasting


And the bad week that the Remain campaign has been having since news broke of the dreadful immigration figures continues:

'You're not letting me get a word in!' The extraordinary moment David Cameron snaps at Kate Garraway as she interrupts him to ask about his record on immigration during EU discussion



NEW The Prime Minister interrupted the Good Morning Britain host (main picture with Ben Shepherd, and top right) in a row over his immigration record and told her: 'You're not giving me a chance to answer'. A stone-faced Mr Cameron (bottom right) looked tired as he appeared on ITV this morning, hours after he was savaged by the audience during the Sky News EU debate and accused of 'waffling' and 'scaremongering'. His clash with Ms Garraway led to viewers accusing him of being rude, with Leila Morby tweeting: 'Oi, Dave!! Don't talk like that to our Kate!!', while Maisie Feen said: 'Keep chipping at him Kate!!!'. David Jones tweeted: 'The pressure is really starting to show'. The row started when the Prime Minister was asked about his immigration record and Kate Garraway said: 'You still haven't answered how we will deal with it if we stay in. Why don't we get the numbers under 100,000 then, David?' And he snapped back: 'You keep asking me a question then literally not giving me a chance to answer'. In the same interview he said leaving the EU would be a 'terrible way' to cut immigration.

 

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After Prime Minister and Remain campaigner David Cameron's disastrous EU in/out referendum interview on Sky News on Thursday night, last night it was the turn of Justice Secretary and Leave campaigner Michael Gove to have his live Sky News referendum interview.

In what was another good night for the Leave camp, the 48-year-old Scot gave a masterful performance on live TV as he was questioned by Sky News Political Editor Faisal Islam and a studio audience.

The night before, Remain's David Cameron had a terrible performance, with Faisal Islam asking him demanding questions which he struggled to answer, and the audience also very much against him. Last night, however, Gove put forward plenty of good reasons as to why Britain should vote to to leave the European Union and the audience was very much on his side. In fact, the audience even booed Faisal Islam at one point over a remark he made to Mr Gove.

Islam accused Gove of being like an “Oxbridge Trump”.

In response Mr Gove accused the leaders of the Remain campaign of “sneering” at the British people, describing Mr Islam as a “Lord High Chancellor”.

Edinburgh-born Mr Gove said that he personally knows the “pain” that the EU can cause because it cost his father his job as a fish merchant.

"Don't belittle the pain caused by the job destroying machine of the European Union," he said.

He said 33 million Britons are suffering due to EU membership.

Mr Gove said he is “glad” that many of the biggest financial institutions are not on the side of the Leave campaign because they have been “wrong in the past”.

He said: “They didn’t predict the global crash in 2008. In many cases they said we should be inside the single currency.”

One member of the audiencde also asked Mr Gove whether he has aspirations to one day be Tory leader and Prime Minister, which Gove vehemently denied. But just because he denies wanting to be PM in public doesn't mean he actually doesn't have aspirations for the top job....

David Cameron and Remain campaign think Britain is 'too stupid' to leave EU

Michael Gove, the Justice Secretary, is quizzed by Faisal Islam and Kay Burley Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Steven Swinford, Deputy Political Editor
Kate McCann, Senior Political Correspondent
3 June 2016

Michael Gove, the Justice Secretary, has accused the Prime Minister and the Remain campaign of dismissing Britain as "too small, too poor and too stupid" to contemplate life outside the EU.

He accused the Prime Minister of making a “depressing litany” of warnings in an attempt to scare the British public into voting to stay in the EU.

Mr Gove, the Justice Secretary, repeatedly clashed with Faisal Islam, the Political Editor of Sky News, who accused him of being like an “Oxbridge Trump”.

In response Mr Gove accused the leaders of the Remain campaign of “sneering” at the British people, describing Mr Islam as a “Lord High Chancellor”.

The European Union is a “job destroying machine”

Mr Gove said that he personally knows the “pain” that the EU can cause because it cost his father his job as a fish merchant.

"Don't belittle the pain caused by the job destroying machine of the European Union," he said.

Michael Gove is interviewed by Faisal Islam Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA wire

“Wages are lower, access to public services is restricted. 33million people are suffering from EU membership. I know myself from my own background that the EU depresses employment and destroys jobs. My father had a fishing business which the EU destroyed."

Economists are great but you shouldn’t inhale”

Mr Gove said he is “glad” that many of the biggest financial institutions are not on the side of the Leave campaign because they have been “wrong in the past”.

He said: “They didn’t predict the global crash in 2008. In many cases they said we should be inside the single currency.

“I am glad all these economists aren’t on my side. [They are] organisations that received money from the EU. Organisations with an agenda.”

During the debate Michael Gove quoted his hero, the late Baroness Thatcher Credit: Stephen Lock/Stephen Lock

He cited the late Baroness Thatcher, who said: “Businessmen are great but you can’t inhale.”

He said he is not asking the public to trust him but to trust themselves. “I am asking the British public to take control from those organisations who are elitist,” he said.

He insisted that those backing the Remain campaign have done “very well” out of the European Union.

You are an “Oxbridge Trump”

During a series of bitter clashes Mr Islam compared Mr Gove to an “Oxbridge Trump” for claiming that the EU is a “job destroying machine”.

Mr Gove went on to directly challenge Mr Islam, accusing him of “sneering condescension”.

He said: “I think this sneering condescension to those who believe in democracy discredits those on the Remain side.”

Faisal Islam repeatedly compared Mr Gove to Donald Trump, the US Presidential candidate Credit: ERIK S. LESSER/ERIK S. LESSER

The Justice Secretary went on to accuse Mr Islam of being like a “Lord High Chancellor”, and cited questions that the presenter had asked Mr Cameron on Wednesday. Faisal Islam's response to this was met by boos from the audience.

He said: “You said that yesterday you said something you don’t believe, and yet you accuse me of post Trump politics.”

He said that the European Union is a market that is “rigged in favour of the rich” against the poor.

The “invincible arrogance” of the European elites

Mr Gove condemned the “invincible arrogance” of Europe’s elites and said that for too long they have been unaccountable.

He said: “These are people who have seen the Euro collapse, who have seen a migration crisis on our borders. I think it’s time we said I’m sorry, you’ve had your day. Unelected, unaccountable elites it is time to say you’re fired.”

Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commissoin, receives a high five David Cameron Credit: Lieven Creemers/Lieven Creemers

He said that if Britain leaves the European Union it will be able to “kick out criminals and terrorists” and take back money from tax avoiding multi-national companies.

He insisted that Britain would be able to form a free trade agreement.

He said: “The key thing is that there is no reason why any European country would want to erect trade barriers with Britain.”

Mr Islam responded: “Your dream is we would get 52 world beating trade deals in record time.”

Project Hope

Justice Secretary and Leave campaigner Michael Gove had a much better Sky News interview than his boss and Remain campaigner David Cameron the night before. He also denied the rumours he aspires to be Tory leader and Prime Minister

The Justice Secretary directly criticised Mr Cameron and said his appearance on Thursday was an “exercise to scare you”.

He said: “Last night what we heard was depressing and an exercise to scare you into not following through with what you know in your heart is right.

“The one thing that’s clear to me is that if we have confidence in ourselves there’s no limit to what we can achieve.

"The depressing litany that we hear from the Remain side is not the sort of approach we should take into the future. We believe in unlocking the potential of the British people.”

Britain’s EU contributions

At one point the audience booed - but they didn't boo Gove, they booed Islam over a remark he made to the Leave campaigner

Mr Gove was quizzed over Vote Leave’s claim that Britain contributes £350million to the EU each week.

Mr Islam said the figure is “misleading” because it does not include the rebate, and again accused him of “post Trump politics”.

Mr Gove responded: “I am perfectly happy to defend the figure. It’s a real figure. I’m happy to have that figure independently audited.

"We don’t have control of that money. There are billions of pounds we send to the European Union every year.”

He said that if Britain votes to Remain its rebate will “only be reduced further”. He said that if Britain leaves it will have an extra £10billion to spend on the NHS

EU immigration policy is “racist”

Mr Gove said that the fact Britain is forced to allow EU nationals to come into Britain is “racist”.

When challenged by an audience member who said the Leave campaign’s focus on immigration is “disappointing”, Mr Gove replied: “I agree with you. I think one of the great things about Great Britain is it’s a hugely successful multi-cultural multi-ethnic society. I would like to see immigration controlled.

“I think it’s wrong that anyone of the 450 million other citizens of the EU can be at the front of the queue and come here easily. By leaving the EU we can have a truly inclusive non racist immigration policy.”

“They think we are too stupid to leave the EU”

Mr Gove was accused by one audience member of acting like a World War I general and saying “over the top men with no idea what’s on the other side”.

The Justice Secretary responded: “I’m putting my faith in the ingenuity and the strength of the British people. They are saying Britian is too small, too poor and we’re all too stupid to be on the outside. I comprehensively reject that.”

He added: “The Leave campaign is not an alternative Government. The point of an election is to choose the Government, the point of a referendum is to give the Government instructions.”

The NHS

Mr Gove said that the NHS faces “two big problems” – an ageing population and uncontrolled free movement from the European Union.

He said: “One of the concerns that I have is that the EU has a plan to allow five new nations which have 88 million people into the European Union. If that happens our NHS will come under additional strain.”

I will “absolutely not” be a future Conservative leader

Asked whether he is considering a leadership bid, Mr Gove said: “I’m absolutely not.

There are lots of talented people that could be Prime Minister after David Cameron. Count me out. The one thing I would recommend is whatever posters you have put up on your wall, do not put up one of me.”


David Cameron and Remain campaign think Britain is 'too stupid' to leave EU