Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner appeared on Sky News in what has been called a “car crash” interview after she fluffed an answer about immigration.
Ms Rayner answered: “There is plenty of housing already, but there’s not enough for the people that desperately need it.
“So the homes, especially under our affordable homes program, which is social and affordable housing, will be for people who desperately need them, local people.”
Mr Phillips stopped the politician in her tracks and declared that her comments “don’t make sense”.
He said: “You start the interview by telling me that there is a housing crisis and when I remind you that you have said as a government that we are going to have 2.5 million migrants, suddenly there is a lot of housing. Where are these people going to go?”
Ms Rayner sidetracked, doubling down on her pledge to build homes as “far too many people are waiting on council housing lists”.
Angela Rayner appeared on Sky News on Sunday morning. (Image: Sky News)
Ms Rayner’s appearance sparked backlash on social media, with one Twitter/X user describing her comments as “innumerate, incompetent, inept” and saying the interview was a “car crash”.
Another wrote: “I have a thick northern accent like ‘our Angela’ and am acutely aware of the assumption by some that a thick northern accent equates to a thick person. My word, Angela. You don’t do us any favours.”
A third quipped: “If this was a scene out of the thick of it it would actually be pretty good.”
And a fourth pleaded: “Can we have the numbers, please? Hard facts and transparency.”
Angela Rayner was skewered by Sir Trevor Phillips on Sky News. (Image: Sky News)
Earlier in the day, the Deputy Prime Minister was skewered by BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg when she asked about Nigel Farage‘s Reform UK overtaking Labour in an opinion poll earlier this week.
Ms Rayner replied: “I know people are impatient for change and people are very angry that they don’t see (what) they were promised.
“So, for example, when we left the European Union, people were promised more money into the NHS, your living standards will be better, and the opposite has happened.
“I know people are impatient for change, but I also know that people will give us that opportunity and will judge us, and that’s why Keir set out the clear guidelines on what people should expect we will deliver.”
Ms Kuenssberg then pressed on why Labour’s ratings had “fallen off a cliff” and Ms Rayner insisted the government had faced “significant challenges”.
Asked about cutting pensioners’ winter fuel payments, the politician answered: “We had a £22 billion black hole.
“We protected the most vulnerable pensioners, created the household support fund for those not eligible for pension credit, and invested in our public services within our NHS and our schools…we’ve already sent over 9,000 people that are illegal in this country back outside of the country.
“So we’re already delivering within the five months we’ve been in power but I understand that people are impatient for change.”
