Tory minister roasted for 'party of facts' claim in car-crash interview

04 October 2023 , 10:00

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Tory minister roasted for 'party of facts' claim in car-crash interview

A top Tory was roasted live on air as a TV presenter hit out at three Tory “untruths”.

Hapless Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan was taken to task after using her Conservative Party conference speech to claim: “We are the party of facts.” But BBC Newsnight host Victoria Derbyshire played her a clip showing three Cabinet ministers making outlandish statements not based in fact.

They included Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insisting he had scrapped “a Government diktat to sort your rubbish into seven different bins"; Transport Secretary Mark Harper suggesting “local councils can decide how often you go to the shops”; and Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho telling activists Labour wants to introduce a tax on red meat.

Ms Donelan insisted: "We are the party of facts"

Confronting Ms Donelan, Ms Derbyshire said: "How can you be the party of facts when none of that is true?" But Ms Donelan insisted: "We are the party that stands up for facts." Ms Derbyshire went on: "I'm not going to let this go. There was never a proposal to use seven bins. We can't find any council that wants to decide how often people can go to shops and Labour have never proposed taxing meat. They are untruths, they are fiction, they are completely and utterly made up and it's really disrespectful to voters." Ms Donelan said: "I genuinely believe we are the party of facts and evidence."

The exchange came as the Tory conference in Manchester prepared for its climax - the main speech by Mr Sunak. He is expected to finally confirm the HS2 railway will not run to the city - abandoning 13 years of Conservative pledges.

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The announcement could trigger the resignation of the Conservatives’ West Midlands Metro Mayor Andy Street, who is furious at the looming betrayal. The conference has been overshadowed by the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the high-speed line.

Plans for a 225mph route from Birmingham to Leeds were axed in 2021, but ministers are now poised to also axe the Birmingham to Manchester leg - despite spending five days in the city at the centre of the row. Cabinet Minister Grant Shapps, a former Transport Secretary, suggested "tens of billions of pounds" will be saved by downgrading HS2. Mr Shapps told the BBC: "What else will now be built because we will save these tens of billions of pounds? Those are tough choices, I know the Opposition won't do that, we will."

Ben Glaze