Labour’s Shadow Attorney General was left almost dumbstruck after a heated interview Andrew Marr on Sunday morning.
Shami Chakrabarti was being grilled by the BBC presenter over Labour’s stance on Brexit after a tumultuous week for Theresa May and the Conservatives.
Marr pushed on the point that Labour’s manifesto states it respects the result of the Brexit referendum rather than primarily pushing for a second vote.
Chakrabarti held her ground, insisting as a democrat her stance was a reflection of the original referendum.
MARR: “I don’t understand why you want to leave the EU.”
Chakrabarti: “I don’t want to leave the EU, I campaigned to Remain. I’m a democrat.”
MARR: “But you’re going to go through a General Election campaign as a member of a party whose manifesto says ‘we are leaving the EU’.”
Chakrabarti: “I’m a democrat, I don’t know about you Andrew, but I’m a democrat.”
MARR: “Don’t try and patronise me, I’m as much a democrat as you are.”
Chakrabarti: “I certainly wouldn’t try to patronise you and I’m sure you would never try to patronise me.”
Chakrabarti insisted the draft Brexit deal presented to the Commons this week by the PM could be renegotiated but struggled to say what Labour would do differently.
Shami said it was “the worst kind of bureaucratic fudge that doesn’t deliver for anyone” and had been “designed to look as if it can please everybody and it can’t” .
She said if Labour was in charge, a “completely different atmosphere” would allow for progress to be made, particularly on workers’ rights and environmental protections.
The pair also sparred over who read the most of the draft deal:
MARR: “Have you read it?”
Chakrabarti: “Yes I have actually. I’m sure you have too.”
MARR: “I’ve read an awful lot of it.”
Chakrabarti: “Well I’ve read it all.”
Earlier on Sunday morning, Jeremy Corbyn poured cold water over calls for Labour to back a second referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU, saying it is “an option for the future” but “not an option for today”.
He also revealed that if there was another referendum he does not know how he would vote.
Labour has said it will vote down May’s deal and then push for a general election. If they fail to secure one “all options remain on the table”, including a second referendum.