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Rishi Sunak was left flailing as he as subjected to a brutal interview on ITV’s Loose Women.
The prime minister was tackled over child poverty and asked “why do you hate pensioners”.
Sunak was also told many voters did not believe he was able to “emotionally connect” with ordinary people.
At the start of the 15-minute grilling, Sunak indicated he was expecting a rough ride.
“I have done a lot of things in this job but being here is probably on the more intimidating end,” he said.
Presenter Janet Street-Porter told him: “You were quite smiley earlier, weren’t you? Will you be smiling in five minutes.”
Street-Porter was then loudly applauded by the audience as the took Sunak to task over pensioner poverty.
“I think you’re a decent man. I do think you work hard. Hats off to you for that. I think your heart is in the right place. But why do you hate pensioners?” she said.
As the audience applauded, Street-Porter added: “That’s the only conclusion I can come to as a result of the spring Budget. So you lowered the National Insurance by 4 pence – big deal, pensioners don’t pay it.
“Then you froze the tax thresholds. So yes you gave us more pension, but that leaves a gap of only £1,000 if you get the basic, average pension, to the threshold of paying tax.
“There’s an argument that pensioners have come out worse under your supervision.”
The prime minister said he did “care deeply about pensioners” and that people who “work hard” all their life “should have the dignity and respect in retirement”.
Sunak said his decision to maintain the triple-lock on pensions had led to a £900 boost to the state pension.
The triple-lock policy means the state pension rises every April every year in line with whichever is highest out of inflation, average wage growth or 2.5%.
Judi Love, another of the interviewers, also demanded to know what the government was going to do “now” to help the country.
“People are suffering right now,” she said. “What is happening now is we are losing kids to poverty in the UK.”
Figures show that the number of children in relative poverty – after housing costs are taken into account – now stands at 4.3 million.
Love also questioned whether the PM, who is a multi-millionaire, could understand the lives of normal people.
“A lot of people are concerned you cannot emotionally connect with them because you haven’t and don’t live the life they have lived,” she said.
The Conservatives are on course to lose the upcoming general election, but Sunk told Loose Women he would not quit parliament if that happened. “Of course I’m staying, I love being an MP,” he said.
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