Mel Stride fails to answer the question as his attack on Labour horribly backfires
Viewers have labelled an interview with Tory minister Mel Stride this morning a ‘car crash’ after he failed to explain the party’s black hole in public spending, while his attempts to bash the opposition backfired terribly.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has been critical of parties’ manifestos, accusing Labour and the Conservatives of a ‘conspiracy of silence’ that tax rises are likely in the next five years, and warned the parties of making “unfunded commitments”.
Mel Stride was grilled by Martin Lewis and Susanna Reid on Good Morning Britain about the warning from the IFS of the black hole in public finances.
“Will you increase borrowing, print money, put taxes up or cut spending? Not because of a new policy but because of the existing black hole in public finances,” asked Martin Lewis.
Mel Stride stressed his party would focus on productivity, insisted the UK had the fastest growing economy in the G7 and highlighted lower inflation, before claiming that Labour would increase taxes to the highest tax burden in history.
However, the money saving expert reminded Stride that, after 14 years of a Conservative government, we already have the highest tax burden in the history of the country.
“That seems a little bit rich to throw it across the other way,” said Martin Lewis.
When pushed again to answer the initial question, the Work and Pensions Minister reiterated getting productivity up, reforming the NHS and insisted that the plans are fully costed, failing again to answer the question put to him. He resorted again to claiming Labour were being silent about tax rises.
Susanna Reid shot back: “The point is we’re talking to you, not Labour.”
She then highlighted a poll which found that 40% of their viewers think they will be better off under Labour, and only 28% under the Conservatives. “Whatever your message is, it’s not getting through,” said Reid.
Clearly out of answers, Stride resorted again to attacking the opposition and went on to use a widely disputed figure claiming families would pay £3,000 more in tax under Labour.
Reid reminded Stride again: “Not only is that figure disputed but we are in the highest tax burden in our country after 14 years of Conservative government.”
He went on to yet again not answer the question about how his own party would address the finances gap. Despite Rishi Sunak’s repeated claims that the party has a ‘plan’, it would seem there will remain some glaring holes.
Hannah Davenport is news reporter at Left Foot Forward
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