Minister challenged by fellow Question Time panellist over Labour boosting ties with Brussels
A row erupted on BBC Question Time after a minister boasted about Labour seeking closer ties with the EU. Labour politician Douglas Alexander said the Government was looking to move closer to Brussels as the show debated whether Sir Keir Starmer should “cosy up” to the US or China.
But panellist Konstantin Kisin challenged the Scottish Secretary, insisting the EU is in “terminal decline” economically. The fiery moment came after an audience member asked: “Is there not an argument perhaps that rather than cosying up with one power in particular or another that we could look to strengthen ties with the superpower on the continent, the European Union?”
Mr Alexander said: “That’s exactly what we’re doing, that’s why we had the UK-EU summit last year.
“It’s why in higher education we’ve rejoined the Erasmus Plus scheme to allow British and European students to be able to live, work and study in their respective countries.
“It’s also why we had to repair the damage. It’s just a statement of fact that under Boris Johnson and our predecessors, they trashed our relationship with Europe.
“So there’s been a huge amount of careful, diligent, diplomatic work done to rebuild our relationship with Europe.
“We’re going to have annual summits every year with the EU because you’re right, it’s really important we trade with China, but geography still matters in trade, and actually the closest and largest trading bloc is not the US with 18% of the trade but the EU with more than 38% of our trade.”
At that point, Mr Kisin said: “Yes, except Europe is declining. I’m not anti-Europe, I think we should have a positive relationship with Europe.”
Konstantin Kisin and Douglas Alexander clashed over the EU (Image: BBC)
The Labour politician then said: “Do you accept geography matters in terms of trade?”
The commentator replied: “Of course geography matters, what I’m saying is that market is declining.”
Mr Alexander said: “So our nearest and largest power economically is the EU, that might be ideologically inconvenient but it’s a fact of geography.”
Mr Kisin hit back: “Yes and in terminal decline. I voted Remain at the referendum stop arguing about ideology.
“It’s a matter of fact, Europe is declining as a market. The US is the most powerful country in the world, we have to be allied with them.
“It doesn’t mean we have to be nasty to the Europeans although I wouldn’t mind if they didn’t send us so many boats with illegal immigrants.”
