JACK SWAN PLAYS JEREMY PAXMAN: THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY

The Conservatives are offering a quick and easy Brexit. None of their candidates locally have been an MP before and so I was keen to know whether they fully understood what they had committed to with the Brexit deal and whether they really trusted Boris Johnson. I met up with Gower candidate Francesca O’Brien to find out:-

As with all conservative candidates at this election, you support the Brexit deal. How thoroughly have you read it?

Well most importantly, is that it has to be delivered. So regardless of how much you have read it, I’m quite confident in what has been proposed, I think that it is the best possibility that we will get, it takes back control of a lot of things; immigration, future trade deals and that’s the most important thing; just to get it done.

Have you gone through it all with a lot of detail? Obviously, it is of such significance to the whole future of this country

I have gone through it. Of course this is just the first stage, I know its going to be another stage in December 2020, there is still a lot to play for and I know there is a lot of uncertainty on it but this is literally just the bare bones of it and hopefully we will be in a good position to make new trade deals in the future.

How will the EU recognise British qualifications after the withdrawal?

That’s the case with people in countries outside the EU anyway so we have a lot of foreign talented people coming to this country anyway and so we will need to recognise that.

Will any new EU laws be relevant to the UK after the withdrawal but before a trade agreement?

After the withdrawal?

After the withdrawal but before any agreement.

Pass. I don’t know about that. I wouldn’t know, that’s the honest answer.

Was Boris Johnson right to compare women in Berkus to letterboxes?

I don’t comment on that as it is down to him. I don’t get involved, likewise with the incident that I had I think it is only fair that it is down to the person. I can’t comment on his behalf, that’s down to him as Prime Minister.

Was he right to say that we would leave the EU by 31st October?

Yes he was right because as a leader you have to be a leader and lead from the front and say ‘right lets leave by this date’ you have to aim for something, people said we’d never get an agreement but we did, despite having parliament tying his hands behind his back; that would have been delivered. Even on Theresa mays deal, if parliament had delivered, we would have been out by now. So I don’t think he was wrong in setting a date unfortunately it has passed.

Was he right to withdraw the whip from Ken Clarke and other MPs?

I think his main reason was that a democratic vote must be prevailed, if people within the party are pulling from pillar to posts we need to say ‘hey guys, we’ve all got to be on the same page here’ and if people are going off doing their own thing, I think in the general publics interest was to do that to hopefully move forward.

So, should Boris have supported Theresa mays deal?

That’s down to Boris. I can’t speak for him.

Have you met Boris?

No. I haven’t.

Do you think that he’s trustworthy?

Do you know what, I’m a person where I only speak as I find, I don’t judge people by the media or anything like that. That’s the way that I have always worked whether business or outside of the workplace, I’d like to think that he is trustworthy but once I’ve met him, I can report back to you.

Many don’t as you know, his opinion ratings in terms of trust is the lowest any PM has ever had. The Gower constituency will be wanting someone to stick up to him. Would you?

First and foremost, I’d be elected given the chance by the people of Gower. That’s above anything else, within a party it is normal to disagree with people and that is where you must use your negotiating skills to get the right outcome for the constituency.

Is there any issue where you think Boris has got something wrong in politics up to this day?

I don’t know.

Some will look at the way that Boris has treated Northern Ireland and the DUP and think that if he gets a huge majority, he won’t need to please his Welsh MP’s. Do you worry he may do to Wales what he has done to Northern Ireland?

I’m hoping that they will need the Welsh vote. It’s important that the Welsh vote is heard. I think we have huge potential here. Whether tourism, jobs, education and health and I want to challenge him.

Personally you said a few years back on Facebook that people on the television program Benefit Street want putting down, what is it that angered you so much about that program and do you regret those comments?

Obviously I have apologised on that, it was an off the cuff remark. It was something I said it would be 6 years ago this January. I have apologised for the inappropriate language that I have used. I fully support the benefit system 100% .My reasons why, in hindsight I should never have watched the program because I think it was made to have that reaction. And to get that outrage and of course they got what they wanted. basically. I am not one for living my whole everyday life on social media. It was more directed that benefits should be there for those who need it. People who have lost a job, fallen on hard times or are just making ends meet. I think to be precise it was around 17 minutes into the episode that somebody had come out of prison and gone on benefits and it was used for criminal activity. I don’t agree with it in that respect but to set the record straight I fully agree with the benefit system. Obviously the choice of words were not the best and hopefully people so far have not judged me on that one particular comment and they have seen that I am a genuinely good person.