07 March 2024 , 09:22
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Jeremy Hunt lost his rag live on air after he was accused of failing to turn the economy around.
The Chancellor got annoyed after BBC presenter Amol Rajan suggested his Budget had not met the challenges the country faces. Mr Hunt appeared to be particularly irritated by claims he has been nicknamed a “fiscal drag queen” because of his stealth tax rises.
Fiscal drag is when people end up paying a higher tax rate as the Government has failed to increase income allowances in line with rising prices.
In the interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on the morning after the Budget, Mr Rajan said: “This might be one of your last big acts in politics. Do you really think you've met the moment? This is a country ravaged by economic shocks - at best drifting, at worst, stagnant.
“We all know about its potential, but we've had seven quarters of falling GDP per head. That's been revised downwards. We're hooked on foreign labour, the birth rate is collapsing, many public services are creaking, councils are going bust. Those are facts. Has your budget really come even close to meeting the scale of the challenges this country faces?”
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Mr Hunt hit back, saying: “I believe it has. If you want gimmicks, if you want quick fixes that unravel and I'm not your person. If you want a long term plan to deliver better public services, to get more investment into the economy, then I have delivered packages that do that.”
Then raising his voice he added: “By the way, I think the overall characterisation you've just given of the British economy is unworthy of the BBC.”
As Mr Rajan laughed and argued the BBC is “an organisation of tens of thousands of people who do lots of different things”, Mr Hunt tried to shout over him. “You have accused me of being not so different from a drag queen,” the Chancellor said.
Earlier in the interview, Mr Rajan had told Mr Hunt: “They call you the fiscal drag queen of British politics, don’t they? And with good reason.”