Helen Whately, the Conservative shadow work and pensions secretary, had a bit of a mare on live television when she claimed her party left behind a “much lower debt” than they inherited. Unfortunately for her, Labour’s Peter Kyle was on hand to remind everyone of the maths – and it didn’t add up.
Appearing on BBC Politics Live, Whately insisted that the Conservatives handed over a “growing economy, low inflation, and much lower debt than we inherited.” The bold claim seemed to gloss over a rather inconvenient truth: Tory public debt had ballooned from £800 billion in 2010 to a staggering £2.6 trillion in 2024.
Presenter Jo Coburn tried to step in, but Whately carried on, doubling down with a mix of soundbites about savings and economic stewardship. But Kyle wasn’t about to let her off the hook. Looking like someone who’d just heard someone deny gravity, he replied, “I have to clarify something here. There are facts in public debate.”
He continued, laying out the cold hard numbers: “Debt was £800 billion in 2010. It’s £2.6 trillion in 2024. Were you out by £2 trillion?”
Caught in the headlights, Whately scrambled to salvage her point: “I may have said the wrong word there… on bringing down the deficit, and on the trajectory to bring down debt.” A valiant attempt, but the damage was done.
Meanwhile, Labour has defended its tax hikes by pointing to what it calls a £22 billion hole in the public finances left by the Conservatives. Unsurprisingly, the Tories have firmly denied this, though moments like Whately’s slip-up aren’t doing much to strengthen their case.
One thing’s for sure: when it comes to debt debates, words – and numbers – really matter.
Watch the clip below:
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