Emily Thornberry was loudly jeered on Thursday night’s BBC Question Time after saying those who voted for Brexit had voted to take their neighbour’s job.
Responding to Leave supporters in the audience, the Labour MP had suggested they hadn’t known what they were voting for and a second public consultation on the terms of the deal was needed.
Her comments caused anger in the audience with one gentlemen saying: “This is almost like Project Fear all over again by saying we didn’t understand what we were voting for.
“I understand. Stop belittling us.”
Host David Dimbleby then gave Thornberry a chance to respond.
She said: “Let me ask it this way - how many people here voted to take their next-door neighbour’s job away?”
There were instant jeers from the crowd and fellow panelist, Isabel Oakeshott, branded the remark “ludicrous”.
Over continuing boos, Thornberry continued: “The truth is the Government ought to have, first of all, it’s primary responsibility, the safety of its people and its secondary responsibility is to make sure we have a decent economy so that people can keep their jobs.
“If this economy goes south then people who are just making ends meet will be the ones who suffer most.
“It won’t be Liam Fox’s children.”
Although there was some applause in agreement, the general audience response appeared to show the comments were seen as misguided.
Things then got worse for Thornberry when another audience member came out with this zinger.
Thornberry, the MP for Islington South & Finsbury, was criticised earlier in the for similar comments.