‘Are we living in the same country?’ Nick Ferrari challenges James Cleverly’s view that the UK is ‘in a good place’
13 October 2022, 10:32
Nick Ferrari challenges Foreign Secretary over growth caims
This is Nick Ferrari's takedown of Foreign Secretary James Cleverly amid the fallout from the mini-budget.
The Foreign Secretary James Cleverly was grilled by Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC on Thursday, after suggesting the UK “is in a good place”, saying the country’s “growth is outperforming a number of our international competitors”.
This comes after the fallout from the Chancellor’s mini-budget which saw the pound plummet to an all-time low against the dollar, a rare rebuke from the IMF over the 45p tax rate cut, and a subsequent U-turn on the policy while the Conservative Party Conference was still in motion.
Read more: Criticism of Liz Truss is 'deeply wrong and unfair,' and 'deserves support' Foreign Sec claims
Nick asked: ”Are we living in the same country?".
“Growth is down to 0.2%. Our inflation is higher than some of our closest European friends such as France and Germany. We have the Bank of England stepping in with scores of billions of bounds to shore up our pension funds.
“We have a number of mortgage products being taken off the market with zero notice and a lot of people now struggling to pay their mortgage, or indeed getting a mortgage which is subsequently withdrawn because they can’t make the payments, and you say we’re in a good place. Well, we must be in different countries, Foreign Secretary!”
The Foreign Secretary said: “So Nick, let's just look at what would have happened had the Prime Minister and the Chancellor not made the interventions that they made a little earlier on this month.
Read more: Abandon tax cuts now: Advisers turn on Truss after she pledges to not reduce public spending
“There were families looking at the credible prospect of energy bills up around £6000 a year - we’ve protected them from that. There were businesses that were contacting me saying that if they didn’t get support for their energy bills they would have to pull down the shutters and let people go. So we’ve protected those people, we’ve protected those businesses.”
Mr Cleverly went on: “Those inflation numbers, while still not where we want them to be, are less than where they would otherwise have been.”
He acknowledged that “our inflation rates are not as low as some of our international competitors", saying Nick was “right” about that, but insisted “they are considerably lower than others”.
He added that the interventions Liz Truss is making will “drive up growth rates”.
In a final affirmation of his loyalty to the Prime Minister’s latest economic moves, the Foreign Secretary challenged: “The point I’ve made to some of her critics is, you can't be critical of our low growth rate and also critical of all the interventions to stimulate both. You’ve got to pick one or the other.
“Liz has picked growth and that’s the right answer.”
Mr Cleverly’s comments generated a fierce reaction on Twitter.
We always used to laugh at other countries we saw as backwards with their politicians defending the indefensible, spouting utter nonsense in the face of facts, yet here we are. Johnson to Truss, they're still lining up daily to make an utter show of themselves. Self respect man.
— Alan (@ARHunter1980) October 13, 2022
Imagine having to demean yourself, sell your soul and endure abject humiliation like this to defend Liz Truss.
— Steven (@ViewNorthern) October 13, 2022
Cleverly in name only
— ThatStrangeFella (@LepusFelix) October 13, 2022
