Question Time: Yanis Varoufakis says May’s deal is one ‘a nation signs only after having been defeated at war’ The economist made the bracing comment about the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal on the panel in Sheffield

Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement is “a deal a nation signs only after having been defeated at war,” remarked economist Yanis Varoufakis on Question Time.

He gave his blunt assessment about the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal after he was asked who was to blame for the UK’s failure to leave the EU on 29 March.

‘This is not a deal which is fit for purpose’

Addressing a young man named Joel, in the Question Time Sheffield audience, who asked the first question on the programme, he said: “Joel, the answer is really very simple. Theresa May. Look, first she triggers Article 50 on the basis of red lines that boxed her into impossibility – and that is a crime against logic.

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“Secondly, it failed to recognise that Michel Barnier, when he announced the two-phase process, announced a declaration of hostility against the Government,” he continued.

‘This is a deal that a nation signs only after having been defeated at war’

Economist @yanisvaroufakis criticises Theresa May on Brexit. #bbcqt pic.twitter.com/5JZCoZ5krH — BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) March 28, 2019

“May never even saw this coming.

“If I come to you and say let’s have a negotiation between us, and I say, first, you tell me everything you want, and then, we will tell you everything we want, clearly, you will say ‘No mate. I’m not going to have a negotiation with you along those lines.’

“Theresa May started that negotiation, and the result was effectively a deal – I disagree with my fellow panellists here – whether you are a Brexiteer or a Remainer, this is a deal a nation signs only after having been defeated at war.

“This is not a deal which is fit for purpose for any sovereign country.”

‘The business model for Britain is broken’

The economist went on to say he believed “the business model for Britain is broken”.

“Britain’s business model relies on low wages, zero hours contracts, and little regulation,” he said.

“It’s based on an ideology of cheapness. That is not a good future for Britain, Brexit or no Brexit,” he added.

Conservative MP @DamianHinds says the lack of progress on Brexit is due to a ‘collective failure of the political class’ #bbcqt pic.twitter.com/hKR5Xe1NVm — BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) March 28, 2019

But Tory peer and Next CEO Simon Wolfson contested Varoufakis’ stance, and argued “employment is growing” even though the UK hasn’t struck a deal.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds backed the CEO’s claims, but did say the government’s lack of progress on Brexit is “a collective failure of the political class.”

“It’s a collective failure, just now, of the political class. It’s on all of us.

“Collectively, we need to fix this for all of the country. We weren’t elected to the country because we have strong views and wanted to express them repeatedly. We were elected to parliament to reach agreement and to get stuff done.

“That’s what I believe the people want to happen,” he added.