A Leave voter who wants to exit the European Union so the UK can take “control of our own laws” has been embarrassed on a radio phone-in when he failed to name a single EU law he was most keen to get rid of.
Ashley, a self-employed electrician who called in to James O’Brien’s LBC radio show, claimed he was willing to take a “short-term” financial hit to his business if it meant leaving the EU.
He asserted he did not listen to the spurious economic claims made by the Leave campaign, but voted to exit the EU “for the independence” and to “control our own laws”.
When asked by Mr O’Brien which specific laws he disliked, Ashley initially responded: “Any.”
On being pressed further, he jokingly responded: “The shape of your bananas”.
Mr O’Brien remained unimpressed: “It's not funny, is it? The pound is at the lowest it's been since 1985, you just said "any law" and I'm just asking you to name one.
"We both know that bananas was a lie made up by Boris Johnson. Remind me which side he was on during the Leave campaign.
"What is the law? You know you were going to take short-term economic damage, you knew that all your customers would do as a newly-formed electrician company. Every single customer in the country is going to be potentially worse off than they were before the vote.
"So I'm just wondering what those laws are that you won't have to obey any more that made you vote for this short-term economic hit.
"Can you name one?"
Ashley's responded: "I wouldn't be able to, no."
Throughout the exchange, Mr O’Brien became more frustrated and suggested Ashley was “a man who’s not got an argument.”
Ashley later explained he voted to Leave because the UK should have greater control over its immigration policy.
“If immigration is all you’ve got, then you’re the cliché,” Mr O’Brien commented.
The exchange took place amid claims that the Brexit vote could wipe £800 from the annual wages of the UK’s lowest-paid workers.
During the referendum campaign, Mr O’Brien grilled a number of leading politicians who spearheaded the Leave campaign, notably Nigel Farage.
