Bungling Tory admits not figuring out how a lot coverage he is selling will save
Conservative party chair Kevin Hollinrake squirmed when discussing the Tory pledge to slash grocery bills, and was forced to turn to an aide to find out the exact figure
A bungling senior Tory has admitted he doesn’t know how much a new policy will save – despite going on television to promote it.
Conservative party chair Kevin Hollinrake squirmed when discussing the Tory pledge to slash grocery bills, and was forced to turn to an aide to ask.
After a humiliating interview on Good Morning Britain, the close Kemi Badenoch ally has now been advised to “do his homework”.
Discussing the Conservative pledge to abolish grocery tax, Mr Hollinrake said: “What’s putting up prices isn’t in fact that lack of competition, it’s just extra regulation. So we’re stripping those away again, which cut the cost of your weekly food basket.”
Asked how much this would save, the top Tory admitted “I don’t know that”, before turning away from the camera to ask if the party even had a figure for the policy.
He said: “Do we know that? £50 a year, it’s not a fortune, but it’s not just that people will save, even that £50 will be well received by many people.”
Speaking afterwards, GMB ’s Political Correspondent Louisa James, who conducted the interview, said: “We had to leave that question and come back to it at the end. It did make me think of Kemi Badenoch saying over the weekend, she described herself as a ‘no-nonsense mum’. Perhaps she needs to tell some of her top team to do a little more homework”
Responding, a Labour Spokesperson said: “The Tories don’t have the answers people need on the cost of living. Let’s not forget this is the same Tory Party who crashed our economy and sent bills sky rocketing.
“The public don’t want more of the same false promises from the failed Conservatives, they want action now, like through immediate measures Andy Burnham has taken.
“By taking taxes off energy bills, capping bus fares at £2 and reducing business rates for thousands of local businesses, we’re giving people the vital breathing space they need.”
It comes as the shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith was compared to an “arsonist running a fire service” after unveiling Tory plans for the economy.
Ms Badenoch‘s party announced “the biggest deregulation project in a generation”, pledging to abolish Natural England and the Environment Agency and end net zero regulations to help build houses.
They also recommitted to scrapping Labour’s Employment Rights Act, which brought in fresh protections for workers, including day one rights for sick pay, a ban on exploitative zero hours contracts, and a new right for unpaid bereavement law including pregnancy loss.
