‘Institutional memory of BBC on Brexit is sketchy’: UK foreign sec takes sly dig at broadcaster

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has taken a swipe at the BBC during an interview with the public service broadcaster, claiming that their “institutional memory” was “a bit sketchy” when it came to its Brexit coverage.

In an interview with the Today program on BBC Radio 4, Raab was challenged on his assumption that the possibility of a ‘no-deal’ was raised by Brexiteeers like him during the 2016 EU referendum, and that the UK government had no mandate for such a scenario.

Raab sniped: “The institutional memory of the BBC is a bit sketchy on this… the mandate certainly wasn’t leave the EU if the EU let us.”

In a tense interview with host Mishal Husain, Raab insisted that he wanted a deal to be agreed between the UK and EU, but the bloc needed to show flexibility on its Brexit red lines such as the Irish ‘backstop.’

“We want a good deal with our EU partners,” Raab said, adding that, until now there has been a “series of fairly stubborn positions staked out by the EU.”

Asked how soon Prime Minister Boris Johnson would be meeting EU officials to renegotiate a deal, Raab could only point to a gathering of foreign ministers in Gymnich, Germany, scheduled for the end of August.

PM Johnson signalled his intent to make sure the UK leaves the EU by the October 31 deadline, without a deal if need be, by assembling a cabinet full of hardline Brexiteers such as Raab, Leader of the House Jacob-Rees-Mogg, and Home Secretary Priti Patel.

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