DAMIAN Green has been grilled for backing Boris Johnson, despite being against a no-deal Brexit and the potential abolishment of the Work and Pensions department.
Johnson, who said the UK will leave the EU on Halloween "deal or no deal", is reported to be considering a move to abolish or merge departments such as Justice, Transport and Work and Pensions.
Green told the Federation of Small Businesses in October that a no-deal Brexit would be "economically catastrophic".
In a Newsnight interview, Green's hypocrisy was questioned by Emily Maitlis who asked the Tory MP for Ashford why he backs Johnson who said "come what may, deal or no deal, we will leave on the 31st [of October]".
Green said he would "much prefer there to be no deal".
Maitlis hit back saying: "Economically catastrophic. You're going to tell businesses now, even though you've said it would be economically catastrophic, that you're backing the man who may take us out with no deal?"
Green said a Jeremy Corbyn Government would be "a worse catastrophe for the British economy".
"I think the danger of having set one deadline in March – and having lost a prime minister over it – if we set another deadline of October the 31st and we miss that then the consequence, the political consequences, for confidence in the whole political system will be huge.
"But also it will lead to a General Election and at that state I will argue for a Tory vote but I fear a Corbyn Government. That would be worse than a no-deal Brexit.
Maitlis pressed him again, saying: "Leaving aside the fact a no deal would be the easiest and quickest route into a Corbyn Government, don't you think the worst possible thing is trust in politicians at this point?
"It's based upon people believing the stuff that you say. Believing it when you come on this programme, believing it when you tell small businesses that no deal would be economically catastrophic and expecting that you might still believe it a few weeks later."
Green responded: "I don't want it [a no-deal Brexit] to happen. I still believe it would be much better for the British economy for there to be a deal."
.@maitlis to Damian Green: “You’re supporting a man [Johnson] who has said, ‘come what may, deal or no deal, we will leave on the 31st.’ You told the Federation of Small Business, ‘no-deal would be economically catastrophic.’ That was last October.”
— Damon Evans (@damocrat) July 1, 2019
1/4 pic.twitter.com/NGrnheyrvu
SNP MP Pete Wishart said Green's stance "encapsulates the absurdity of their disastrous no deal and the hypocrisy of those who now support it".
I bet @DamianGreen is glad that interview is over. Encapsulates the absurdity of their disastrous no deal and the hypocrisy of those who now support it. They are now serious about crashing the UK economy for narrow political expediency. @BBCNewsnight
— Pete Wishart (@PeteWishart) July 1, 2019
Johnson has already said he wants to merge the Department for International Development and the Foreign Office.
It is thought combining the Departments for International Trade and International Development with the Foreign Office would save £1 billion.
But Green seemed to be completely unaware of this when Maitlis asked if he would be happy for the DWP, justice, international, business and culture departments removed from Cabinet.
Green said: "That's a third of all public spending. It seems highly unlikely to me ... It seems quite an extraordinary proposition.
"Are you saying Justice as well? You can always play with government departments but I think saying you wouldn't have a minister in Cabinet responsible for the colossal pension budget would seem strange."
It seems Green would prefer an economic catastrophe to the ruin of the Tory party.
Boris Johnson supporter Damian Green says that reports tonight that Johnson is considering plans to shrink down the size of the cabinet "seems hugely unlikely to me”#newsnight | @maitlis | #newsnight pic.twitter.com/jFNKSzzp3W
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) July 1, 2019
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