Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has been slammed for an insensitive jibe in direction of Sir Keir Starmer because the “worst joke in Budget Day historical past.”
In the House of Commons, Hunt introduced up feedback by Labour peer Peter Mandelson who mentioned Keir Starmer might “shed a few pounds.” Mandelson was discussing the significance of presentation in politics when he in contrast the Labour chief’s look to the likes of Rishi Sunak. He mentioned that garments and look have been “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 at the moment and mentioned: “If he [Starmer] wants to join me on my marathon training he’s most welcome.” X, previously Twitter customers, have been fast 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 mentioned: “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 mentioned: “Jeremy Hunt fats shaming Keir Starmer!?”
Hunt mentioned 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.”
Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting advised 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.”