‘Running out of time!’ Sky's Ridge grills Hilary Benn on failure to stop no deal Brexit

SKY News host Sophy Ridge put Labour MP Hilary Benn on the spot during a tense interview - pointing out that his Remain campaign to overturn the Brexit referendum was quickly “running out of time”.

By Oli Smith, News Reporter

Brexit: Hilary Benn warned of 'time' to stop no-deal by Sky host

Hilary Benn struggled to answer how the Remain campaign “will get what it wants” with time to stop a no deal Brexit quickly running out. During an interview this morning on Sky News, host Sophy Ridge pointed out that Remain-backing MPs in Parliament were likely to fail to stop a no deal Brexit if Boris Johnson gains power. Earlier this week, MPs rejected a Labour motion paving the way for parliament to block a no deal departure from the EU.

Hilary Benn

Hilary Benn struggled to answer how the Remain campaign “will get what it wants" (Image: SKY)

The cross-party effort was defeated by 309 votes to 298, in a blow to hopes of preventing a Brexiteer prime minister from taking the UK out of the EU without a deal in October.

Quizzed on this failure, Mr Benn tried to reference earlier votes that Remainer MPs had won. 

He said: “The last time we voted formally, it was a huge defeat for no deal Brexit.”

Ridge jumped in: “But, you lost the attempt this week. It’s not clear-cut that you can stop a no deal Brexit.”

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You don’t have much time left

Sophy Ridge

The Labour MP then tried to dismiss the defeated motion as “simply procedural”.

Pointing to the Brexit timetable, Ridge said: “Will you be able to do what you want to do?

“You don’t have much time left. Parliament breaks over summer, then you come back for a couple weeks, then party conference season starts, and then we leave on October 31st.

“If it’s a choice between not leaving at all and leaving without a deal, people who voted to leave would choose to leave without a deal.”

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Mr Benn tried to deflect this point by claiming a no deal Brexit would have no mandate, before hitting out at the prospect of Boris Johnson in office.

He said: “I will try to stop Boris. It would be completely irresponsible for any Prime Minister to do that. It would be economic vandalism

“The House of Commons does not support a no deal Brexit and there is no mandate for a no deal Brexit.”

This comes amid claims by senior Tories that Boris Johnson’s hardline Brexit approach could spark a general election campaign in the autumn.

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