Mhairi Black urges Tories to agree with Nigel Farage that Brexit has 'failed' UK during PMQs

Mhairi Black has urged the UK Government to follow in the footsteps of Nigel Farage and “admit Brexit has failed”.

The SNP MP told the deputy prime minister that leaving the EU has led to higher food prices, a lack of workers and declining living standards in the UK.

She pointed to the words of Farage as she criticised the UK Government at PMQs on Wednesday.

She was filling in for SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, and Oliver Dowden replaced Rishi Sunak while he was at the G7.

She echoed the words of Farage, who told Newsnight on Monday that the UK has not “benefited from Brexit economically”.

Nigel Farage labelled Tory politicians 'useless' as he criticised their handling of Brexit. — Nigel Farage labelled Tory politicians ‘useless’ as he criticised their handling of Brexit. STV News

But the former UKIP leader claimed that was due to the “mismanagement” of Conservative Party politicians, adding that he does not think the UK would be better off inside the bloc.

“What Brexit has proved, I’m afraid, is that our politicians are about as useless as the commissioners in Brussels were,” he said.

“We have mismanaged this totally.”

Speaking in front of MPs Wednesday, Black partially agreed with Farage, saying Brexit had disadvantaged the UK.

She told the House of Commons: “The deputy prime minister said it was his duty to furnish people with ‘the facts that are available’ in regards to Brexit.

“Brexit Britain faces higher food prices, a lack of workers, a shrinking economy & a decline in living standards. Why is he happy to ignore those facts?”

Dowden told the SNP MP that the UK had the “fast growth rates in the whole of the G7 since Brexit” and said the SNP wanted to “undo” Brexit.

“But let me tell you,” he said. “If I were them, I would start by undoing the mess they have left Scotland in, and start working with the United Kingdom Government and focus on the priorities of the Scottish people, not the priorities of their party.”

Westminster's disastrous Brexit has meant:
📈 Higher food prices
👷 Less workers
💷 A shrinking economy
📉 Decline in living standards

👇 If even Nigel Farage can accept Brexit has failed, why can't the Tory and Labour parties? pic.twitter.com/PNhgme8ZZ4
— The SNP (@theSNP) May 17, 2023

The SNP deputy Westminster leader labelled Dowden’s response “deluded”.

She said: “Just today, the world’s fourth-largest car manufacturer said that Brexit was, and again I quote, ‘is a threat to our export business and the sustainability of our UK manufacturing options’.

“Even Nigel Farage can admit that Brexit has failed. So why can’t he?”

Dowden replied: “One of the best ways of getting behind industry in this country is to get behind the trade deals we are striking with many countries around the world which they have singularly failed to oppose.

“I see last week the SNP promised to build a new Scotland. I don’t know whether she is aware, but the SNP have been in power for 13 years.”

The SNP benches jeered at the apparent mistake. The SNP have been in power for 16 years. The Conservatives have been in power for 13 years.

Number 10 said it did not agree with Farage’s assessment of Brexit.

“I think the prime minister has talked about the benefits of Brexit on a number of occasions,” Sunak’s official spokesperson said.

“Just thinking about farming alone, we’re talking about some of the benefits of moving away from a bureaucratic cap which skewed money towards the largest landowners, with 50% going to the largest 10%.”