Kuenssberg Skewers Chancellor Over Economy Claims: ‘Sounds Like You’re In A Parallel Universe’

Posted on 24/03/2024 by Boris Clair

The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg told Jeremy Hunt “it sounds like you’re in a parallel universe” after his recent claims about the cost of living crisis and the economy.

The chancellor made headlines after he posted on X on Friday that £100,000 is not “a huge salary” after mortgage costs and childcare.

His colleague, minister Andrea Leadsom, also caused a stir this week after she claimed the cost of living crisis had ended now inflation is down.

The presenter of Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg then pointed out that private rents are up 9% since 2023, council tax for band D up 5.1% since 2023 and petrol prices up 2.3p since January 2024.

After reminding Hunt of these incidents, she asked: “Isn’t there a danger that actually you sound like you’re in a parallel universe?”

Hunt said he was talking to one of his own constituents about paying for childcare in an area where the house prices are averaging around £670,000.

But, the BBC journalist noted: “In your own area, in Surrey, the average full time wage is not even half of that. It’s £42,000.

“So, don’t you think, to many people hearing that, it just sounds completely out of touch?”

Hunt said: “Well, I was talking to one of my own constituents who was saying that, but I do accept that even those people on those higher salaries do feel under pressure.”

He said for the national average salary – those on £35,000 – he reduced their National Insurance contributions, while those on National Living Wage have seen an increase.

Actually, due to fiscal drag – where tax thresholds do not change in line with inflation and rising wages – people will be paying more in tax.

“By the end of this parliament, those people will be worse off,” Kuenssberg said, noting PM Rishi Sunak is still saying the economy is bouncing back.

The chancellor pointed out the Office for Budget Responsibility says we are going to recover to pre-pandemic living standards “two years earlier than previously thought”, saying the “plan was starting to bear fruit”.

Elsewhere, Kuenssberg also asked: “Has the cost of living crisis ended?”

Hunt admitted, “we’ve had a very very tough patch,” but blamed the invasion of Ukraine for driving up energy prices and the Covid pandemic.

He continued: “I think people will welcome the fact that inflation has fallen – but we’re not there yet.

“We need to stick to the course because we need inflation to get down to 2%.

“The thing that will make the biggest difference for families up and down the country is when interest rates falls, and the mortgage rate starts to fall.”

Keir Starmer Waters Down Pledge To End Arms Sales To Saudi Arabia

Posted on 14/01/2024 by Boris Clair

Keir Starmer has watered down his previous pledge to end arms sales to Saudi Arabia if he becomes prime minister.

The Labour leader would only commit to a “review” of the policy if he becomes prime minister.

Starmer also appeared to row back on his previous commitment to bring in a new law forcing the government to seek parliamentary approval for any military action.

When he was running to succeed Jeremy Corbyn in 2020, Starmer said the UK “should stop the sales of arms to Saudi Arabia”.

But on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg this morning, he said: “We will do a review to look at the sales, look at the countries and the relationships that we have. Obviously, that follows a review.”

Kuenssberg told him: “But you said in February 2020 ‘we should stop the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia’. Is that still your position?”

Starmer replied: “We will review the situation and the review will give us the answer to those questions.”

Kuenssberg said: “So you may not any more promise to stop the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia, which is what you used to say in 2020.”

Starmer said: “We will review the situation and the review will make clear what the position is.”

During his leadership campaign, Starmer pledged to “end illegal wars” by introducing a Prevention of Military Intervention Act.

That would ensure that any military action had to be legal and backed by a Commons vote.

However, Starmer backed last week’s air strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen despite there being no vote in parliament beforehand.

Asked about the apparent change of heart, the Labour leader insisted there was “no inconsistency” in his position.

He said: “There is a huge distinction between an operation the like of which we’ve seen in the last few days and a sustained campaign – military action usually involving troops on the ground.

“National security must come first. There will always be urgent situations where parliament can’t be consulted beforehand. But the principle that if there’s to be a sustained campaign, if we’re going to deploy our troops on the ground, that parliament should be informed, there should be a debate, the case should be made and there should be a vote, I do stand by that in principle, absolutely.”

However, Starmer refused to commit to introducing a new law, saying it could be “done by some other means”.

‘It’s Going The Wrong Way’: Health Secretary Shown How The Tories Have Failed On NHS Waiting Lists

Posted on 03/12/2023 by Boris Clair

A Tory minister was told NHS waiting lists were “going the wrong way” despite Rishi Sunak’s pledge to bring them down.

Health secretary Victoria Atkins was shown a damning graph setting out how the lists have almost doubled in the last five years to almost 8 million.

That is despite the prime minister vowing at the start of the year that they would be lower within 12 months.

Appearing on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on BBC One this morning, Atkins refused to confirm that the lists would be down in time for the next election.

Pointing to the graph, Kuenssberg said: “This is what has happened to waiting lists. We know of course the pandemic made things much more challenging, but our viewers can see it was going up well before the pandemic.

“Lots more money has gone in, there are many, many more staff. This is the situation that people are having to deal with.

“This is the prime minister’s target and it’s going the wrong way.”

The minister claimed the long-running industrial action by doctors and nurses was to blame for the government’s failure.

“Since December last year we’ve seen some 1.1 million appointments have to be rescheduled,” she said.

Atkins said the government has reached a pay agreement with unions representing NHS consultants, and that talks were ongoing with junior doctors as well.

But Kuenssberg pointed out that Atkins’ predecessor as health secretary, Steve Barclay, had refused to negotiate with the trade unions for months.

“You’ve said that the strikes are a big reason why the waiting lists are sky high and people are suffering,” she said. “Why then did the government sit on its hands for months refusing to talk to the doctors. Isn’t that responsibility on you too?”

The presenter went on: “With the numbers going the wrong way, can you commit that you’re actually going to hit these targets before the general election?”

The minister replied: “We are looking to meet those targets, but I need the consultants to pass this settlement that we have put forward.”

Kuenssberg replied: “You’re saying that if the doctors accept the new deal, the prime minister might hit his targets. But if you don’t, he won’t.”

Atkins said: “We’re doing everything we can.”

The graph Atkins was shown setting out how waiting lists have soared.

‘Just Be Straight With People’: Laura Kuennsberg Roasts Tory Minister Over Tax Claims

Posted on 26/11/2023 by Boris Clair

A Tory minister was urged to “just be straight with people” after she claimed the government was cutting the overall tax burden.

Laura Trott was grilled on BBC 1′s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg this morning.

The chief secretary to the Treasury repeated Conservative claims that her party is reducing the amount people are being taxed – despite clear evidence to the contrary.

At last week’s Autumn Statement, chancellor Jeremy Hunt said he was bringing in “the biggest package of tax cuts since the 1980s” as he reduced National Insurance and business taxes.

But it later emerged that the overall tax burden is still set to hit a post-war high by the end of the 2020s.

Kuenssberg told Trott: “It’s very important that you are clear about the overall picture here.

″The overall picture for our viewers is that the tax burden is going up and up and up and up.”

But the minister said: “That’s actually not true. For people on average wages, their taxes would have been cut by about £1,000 on average since 2010.

“For some of the highest earners, we have asked them to take on more of the burden.”

Kuenssberg replied: “You know, and our viewers will have seen and heard on many occasions, taxes are going to reach a post-war high.

“The overall tax burden is going up. Shouldn’t you just be straight with people?”

Trott said: “I am being straight. If you are on an average income, because of the tax changes that we’ve made, your tax burden will have gone down quite significantly.”

Kuenssberg hit back: “You are going to bring some taxes down, but the overall tax burden is going up – I want people to understand that clearly.”

‘You’re Trying To Bamboozle Our Viewers’: Oliver Dowden Roasted Over Covid Revelations

Posted on 05/11/2023 by Boris Clair

Oliver Dowden was accused of trying to “bamboozle” the public as he refused to say whether he had read all of the government’s plans for dealing with a pandemic before the Covid outbreak.

The deputy prime minister clashed with Laura Kuenssberg as he appeared on the BBC this morning.

It came after a week of damning revelations at the Covid inquiry over Downing Street’s handling of the early months of the pandemic.

Dowden was a Cabinet Office minister at the time and responsible for how the government dealt with emergencies.

Referring to a clip of the inquiry’s most shocking revelations, Kuenessburg said: “It’s hard to watch any of that and conclude anything other than the government’s handling of Covid was a disaster.”

She added: “You were minister of state for the Cabinet Office at the beginning and part of your job was making sure that the government was ready to deal with big emergencies.

“Had you read all of the plans that were prepared to deal with a pandemic?”

“I said all of this during my evidence session at the Covid Inquiry” responded Dowden.

“I’m sure our viewers want to hear it now too” pressed the BBC host.

Dowden replied: “I gave evidence for over three hours at the inquiry.”

As Kuenssberg told him she was asking a “straightforward question”, a clearly-agitated Dowden said: “Laura if you wish to know the answer to this question, I have to be able to set out the facts of it.

“The department for health had a responsibility for pandemic preparedness. The role of me in the Cabinet Office was to make sure we had a full analysis of all of the risks.”

Kuenssberg hit back: “You’re giving us a very long, technical answer and I’d like you to give a straightforward answer to our viewers.”

“All of the areas under my responsibility I was across them,” said Dowden.

The presenter responded: “And had you read all of the plans? That’s a straightforward question.

“It sounds like you’re trying to bamboozle our viewers this morning with a very technical explanation of the fact that you didn’t read every single part of the pandemic preparedness plans.”

But Dowden said: “I’m not trying to bamboozle your viewers and I can say categorically that I read the relevant Covid plan.”

‘Rich. Money. Wealth.’ Rishi Sunak Shown What Voters Think Of Him During Toe-Curling Interview

Posted on 01/10/2023 by Boris Clair

Voters associate Rishi Sunak with wealth, money and greed, according to a survey carried out for the BBC.

The multi-millionaire prime minister was presented with the public’s brutal verdict during a live interview as the Tory Party conference kicks off in Manchester.

Appearing on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the PM was shown a so-called “word cloud” outlining the answers voters gave to the More in Common think-tank when asked their opinion of him.

It showed the most common was “rich people”, followed by “money” and “himself”.

Other answers included “greed”, “elite” “wealth”, “upper class” and “prosperity”.

However, some people answered “fairness”, “equality”, “stability” and “leader”.

The word cloud setting out how people view the prime minister.

During the ill-tempered interview, Kuenssberg told him: “You can see there, rightly or wrongly, what many people associate with you is your personal wealth.

“What does that make you think? Does that worry you if people might think you’re out of touch?

“Or perhaps, you are very wealthy, you could be living on a beach not working at all. A lot of people might think you’ve got all this wealth, you could be living on a beach, not working at all.

“A lot of people might think you’ve got all this wealth, you could do anything at all, good on you for being in public service. What goes through your mind when you see that?”

A clearly-annoyed Sunak said : “My job is to deliver for people. We’ve been talking a lot about this net zero decision …”

Kuenssberg replied : “Hold on, I think people would like to know what your response is.”

But the PM said: “But this is a great example of it. That was a decision motivated by me wanting to ease the burden on families.”

Labour Backs Laughing Gas Ban To Tackle Anti-Social Behaviour

Posted on 26/03/2023 by Boris Clair

Labour has backed the government’s proposed ban on the sale of laughing gas, saying it is a “blight” on communities.

Nitrous oxide will be banned under plans to tackle anti-social behaviour, Michael Gove announced on Sunday.

Senior Labour MP Lucy Powell agreed with the proposal and called for enforcement.

The shadow culture secretary told Sky’s Sophy Ridge: “I think we want to see it banned as well because I think it does cause a huge amount of littering, of disruption and of antisocial behaviour challenges as well.

“We do need to tackle at source these kind of crimes – well sometimes they’re not crimes – these kind of behaviours that are blights on our communities.

“It’s something when I go door knocking in my constituency in Manchester Central and I go out meeting residents – anti-social behaviour is probably the number one issue that they raise with me.”

Gove told the BBC nitrous oxide can have a “damaging effect on young brains” and its public use can lead to “greater lawlessness”.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) recently advised against new laws to ban nitrous oxide.

Nitrous oxide, sold in metal canisters, is known as NOS and is the second most-used drug by UK 16 to 24-year-olds.

Confirming the ban on laughing gas, Gove told Sky: “I think anyone who has the opportunity to walk through our parks in our major cities will have seen these little silver canisters, which are examples of people not only spoiling public spaces but taking a drug which can have a psychological and neurological effect and one that contributes to antisocial behaviour overall.”

Nicola Sturgeon Sparks Backlash After Saying She ‘Detests’ Tories

Posted on 09/10/2022 by Boris Clair

Nicola Sturgeon has sparked a backlash for saying “I detest the Tories” during a BBC interview.

Scotland’s first minister has been accused of using “dangerous language” after she took a swipe at the Conservatives.

Sturgeon told the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: “If the question to me is would I prefer a Labour government over a Tory government – I detest the Tories and everything they stand for – so it’s not difficult to answer that question.”

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Nadhim Zahawi hit back: “I think that language is really dangerous.

“I prefer to work with my colleagues in Scotland on delivering the free ports, the green ports, as I want to do with [Deputy First Minister] John Swinney and others.”

Tory MP Andrew Bowie commented: “That’s the first minister of Scotland ‘detesting’ a quarter of the Scottish electorate.

“Good to see the language of respectful disagreement being demonstrated here. Btw, how’s that plan to win over 2014 no voters going?”

While Sturgeon said she would favour a Labour government, she added: “Being better than the Tories is not a high bar to cross right now.

“I think we need to see more of a radical alternative from Labour rather than just a pale imitation.

“If you’re asking me do I think either a Westminster Tory government or a Westminster Labour government are good enough for Scotland, then my answer to that is no.”

She also told the broadcaster she was disappointed that Labour leader Keir Starmer had “thrown in the towel” on re-joining the European Union.

During the interview, Sturgeon said she was “confident” that a second Scottish independence referendum will take place next October.

She dismissed opinion polls that show people do not want indyref2 now or in the next few years, saying they did not need to look at the polls to know there was a mandate for another referendum.

The SNP want to hold a vote next autumn if the Supreme Court rules that ordering a ballot is within the powers of the Scottish parliament.

Sturgeon said plans were “ready to go” to legislate for the referendum – if it gets the go ahead from the court.

The first minister also claimed that any attempt to boycott an indyref2 would show the UK government does not believe it can win the case for the union.

However, some – including Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross – have suggested the unionist side could boycott the referendum.

Sturgeon went on to say that she believed the “vast majority” of Scots would take part in the referendum and she was “confident Scotland will become independent”.

The Scottish government is expected to publish a new paper setting out its plans for the economy and currency of an independent Scotland next week.

Matt Hancock Totally Refuses To Answer Questions On Boris Johnson’s Flat

Posted on 28/04/2021 by Boris Clair

Matt Hancock has refused to answer questions about Boris Johnson’s Downing Street flat refurbishment, which is subject to an investigation by the election watchdog.

The health secretary twice totally refused to engage with questions on the issue before being challenged on his responses by Mirror deputy political editor Ben Glaze.

In response, Hancock suggested the media should only ask questions that the government decides “really matter”, while insisting the Downing Street press conference he was hosting was only about coronavirus.

At previous press conferences, ministers have been happy to answer questions on wider issues affecting the government.

It came after the Electoral Commission said “there are reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence or offences may have occurred” as it launched a probe into the refurbishment of the prime minister’s flat.

No.10 has refused to say whether Johnson sought an initial loan from the Conservative Party to cover a reported £58,000-worth of renovations to his residence in No. 11, which he shares with partner Carrie Symonds and their baby son Wilfred.

Political donations have to be declared to ensure there are no questions or concerns over politicians or parties being unduly influenced by those giving them money.

At a Downing Street press briefing, BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg asked Hancock whether a serving government minister who is found to have broken party funding rules should resign.

But the health secretary replied: “I know that the prime minister answered lots of questions about this in the House of Commons earlier and given that this is a coronavirus press conference you won’t be surprised I’m not going to add to the answers the prime minister has already given to very extensive questioning, thanks.”

Times Whitehall editor Chris Smyth then asked two questions on Covid before enquiring whether the government was still threatening to abolish the Electoral Commission.

Hancock replied: “I think we’ll give the third one [question] a miss.”

The health secretary was then challenged over his approach by Glaze.

The Mirror journalist said: “As culture secretary, you championed the right of the free press and fourth estate to ask difficult questions.

“Yet this evening you haven’t engaged with those questions from Chris or from Laura around Tory sleaze.

“Now what’s the point in us being able to ask difficult questions if you’re not going to engage with them?”

Hancock replied: “The point of the press conference is the incredibly important progress that we’re making about coronavirus, which is without doubt the most important thing facing the country.

“And if you’ve listened to the answers, I’m sure you have… you will have one of the most illuminating descriptions of where we are up to scientifically, and operationally and clinically that is available, and I’m very, very grateful to the incredible capability of people who support me as a minister.

“It is important there are questions and there were endless questions in the House of Commons earlier on some of the issues that you’ve raised, and you will have seen the appointment of [new independent adviser on ministerial interests] Lord Geidt earlier.

“But you’ve also got to concentrate on the big things that really matter.”

Earlier this month , Boris Johnson was accused of breaking ministerial rules when he used a televised briefing on the Covid pandemic to launch an “unprompted political attack” on London mayor Sadiq Khan about the Transport for London budget.

Dominic Cummings Blasts Boris Johnson Over His ‘Competence And Integrity’ And Denies Leaking Stories

Posted on 23/04/2021 by Boris Clair

Dominic Cummings has questioned Boris Johnson’s “competence and integrity” as he accused the prime minister of being responsible for a series of false allegations about him in the media.

In an explosive blog posting, Johnson’s former top adviser denied he was responsible for the leak of private texts in which he promised to “fix” a tax issue for the entrepreneur Sir James Dyson.

He also claimed the PM had tried to stop an inquiry into the leak last year of plans for a second lockdown because it implicated a friend of his fiancee, Carrie Symonds.

He said that he had also warned Johnson against plans to have donors secretly pay for refurbishment of his Downing Street flat, saying they were “unethical, foolish (and) possibly illegal”.

“It is sad to see the PM and his office fall so far below the standards of competence and integrity the country deserves,” he said.

His attack follows briefings to a number of newspapers, which said Johnson believed Cummings was the source of the leaks about the lockdown and his texts to Sir James as well as stories about the flat refurbishment.

It follows his dramatic departure from No 10 last year amid the fallout from a bitter power struggle with Symonds.

Denying the being the source of the BBC story on Johnson’s text communications with the businessman, Cummings said: “I do have some WhatsApp messages between the PM/Dyson forwarded to me by the PM. I have not found the ones that were leaked to Laura Kuenssberg on my phone nor am I aware of being sent them last year. I was not directly or indirectly a/the source for the BBC/Kuenssberg story on the PM/Dyson texts.”

He said he is “happy to meet with the Cabinet secretary” and to have his phone searched.

He added: “If the PM did send them to me, as he is claiming, then he will be able to show the Cabinet secretary on his own phone when they were sent to me.

“It will therefore be easy to establish at least if I was ever sent these messages. I am also happy to publish or give to the Cabinet Secretary the PM/Dyson messages that I do have, which concerned ventilators, bureaucracy and covid policy — not tax issues.”

Referring to the leak of a decision on having another lockdown last autumn, Cummings said: “Last year there was a meeting between the PM, Cabinet Secretary, the director of communications and me regarding the leak of the decision for a further lockdown on the Friday evening immediately after the meeting in the Cabinet Room that made the decision (known in the media as ‘the chatty rat story’).”

He said Johnson “knows that I was not the source of the leak and that the Cabinet secretary authorised the prime Minister’s official spokesman to tell the media this, yet he has now authorised his DOC (director of communications) to make this accusation”.

He said events around that situation had “contributed to my decision to stick to my plan to leave No10 by 18 December, which I had communicated to the PM in July the day before my long-delayed operation”.

Cummings said Johnson had “stopped speaking” to him about renovations to the Downing Street flat last year “as I told him I thought his plans to have donors secretly pay for the renovation were unethical, foolish, possibly illegal and almost certainly broke the rules on proper disclosure of political donations if conducted in the way he intended”.

He added: “I refused to help him organise these payments. My knowledge about them is therefore limited.

“I would be happy to tell the Cabinet secretary or Electoral Commission what I know concerning this matter.”

Cummings said he has “made the offer to hand over some private text messages, even though I am under no legal obligation to do so, because of the seriousness of the claims being made officially by No10 today, particularly the covid leak that caused serious harm to millions”.

However, he added that this “does not mean that I will answer every allegation made by No10”.

He said the “proper way for such issues to be handled” would be through a parliamentary inquiry into the government’s conduct over the Covid crisis.

He said this “ought to take evidence from all key players under oath and have access to documents”.

He added: “Issues concerning covid and/or the PM’s conduct should not be handled as No10 has handled them over the past 24 hours.

“I will cooperate fully with any such inquiry and am happy to give evidence under oath.

“I am happy for No10 to publish every email I received and sent July 2019-November 2020 (with no exceptions other than, obviously, some national security / intelligence issues).”

The ex-aide confirmed he will appear before MPs next month.

He wrote: “I will not engage in media briefing regarding these issues but will answer questions about any of these issues to parliament on 26 May for as long as the MPs want.”

Johnson declined to say why No 10 insiders suspected Cummings is behind leaks of his correspondence.

During a campaign visit to Hartlepool, Johnson told broadcasters: “I think people aren’t so much interested in who is leaking what to whom as the substance of the issue at hand. The issue is really the question of the ventilators as you will remember James Dyson was offering to make.

“Let’s be absolutely clear I think it was right to talk to him.”

He said he is “mystified” as to why some people have “chosen to attack” his communications.

Asked if he will take legal action against Cummings, the prime minister said: “I think there’s much more public interest in what we’re doing not just to procure ventilators…

“And we’re now in a position where we do have 30,000 ventilators, we’re able for instance to think about what we can do to help the people of India who are suffering so terribly at the moment.”

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