Jeremy Hunt slammed for fat jibe dubbed 'worst joke in Budget Day history'

06 March 2024 , 13:15

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Jeremy Hunt addresses House of Commons

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has been slammed for an insensitive jibe towards Sir Keir Starmer as the "worst joke in Budget Day history."

In the House of Commons, Hunt brought up comments by Labour peer Peter Mandelson who said Keir Starmer could "shed a few pounds." Mandelson was discussing the importance of presentation in politics when he compared the Labour leader’s appearance to the likes of Rishi Sunak. He said that clothes and appearance were "not unimportant" in politics, on the Times Radio podcast How to Win an Election, noting that "Starmer needs to shed a few pounds and that would be an improvement."

Hunt then waded in today and said: "If he [Starmer] wants to join me on my marathon training he's most welcome." X, formerly Twitter users, were quick to slam him. ITV's Tom Bradby wrote: "Jeremy Hunt spending rather too much time in the Budget addressing the opposition benches and not the public. And that was a contender for worst Budget Day joke in history; a fattist jibe against Keir Starmer that was clearly pre-scripted."

Sky's Beth Rigby said: "Hmm, Hunt repeated what Mandelson said about Starmer needing to lose a few pounds. I don't think should have been said first time around and certainly not repeated by Chancellor. Bad taste." Nairn McDonald wrote: "Fat Jokes... Is that seriously what our politics has descended to?" While ITV's Anushka Asthana said: "Jeremy Hunt fat shaming Keir Starmer!?"

Hunt said in his full remarks: "I see the Leader of the Opposition smiling because, like me, he is a Surrey boy. I know he's been taking advice from Lord Mandelson, who, yesterday, said rather uncharitably, he needed to shed a few pounds. Ordinary families will shed more than a few pounds if that lot get in. If he wants to join me on my marathon training he is most welcome as well."

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Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting told LBC after Mandelson's remarks: "As the shadow health secretary I’m against that kind of fat shaming, Peter Mandelson should know better. Let me tell you we have seen the odd paunch from [Peter] over the years so in glass houses people shouldn’t throw stones."

Starmer has branded the Chancellor's budget "the last desperate act of a party that has failed". Speaking in the Commons, the Labour leader said: "There we have it, the last desperate act of a party that has failed. Britain is in recession, the national credit card maxed out, and despite the measures today, the highest tax burden for 70 years. The first Parliament since records began to see living standards fall, confirmed by this budget today. That is their record, and it is still their record, give with one hand and take even more with the other, and nothing they do between now and the election will change that."

Rachel Hagan