Quentin Letts clashed with Good Morning Britain presenter Adil Ray on Thursday during a heated discussion about yesterday’s budget.
When co-host Charlotte Hawkins mentioned the budget containing “nothing to help people on energy bills”, the journalist and political sketch writer was quick to interrupt.
“Hold on, you say help?” Quentin Letts asked, abruptly.
‘This is our money’
“This is our money that the politicians are giving away and the idea that you can just help people without any cost to other people is quite wrong.”
This comment riled up co-host Adil Ray who was quick to respond.
“”Why is that quite wrong?” he asked.
If people are poor and vulnerable, shouldn’t we all be helping them? Isn’t that the idea of a society? That’s unbelievable you would say that.”
Adil Ray then went on to ask Quentin Letts, “are you not prepared to pay for somebody worse off?”
‘I’d get a bit fed up’
To this, Letts bluntly replied: “I think I’d get a bit fed up at some point, yeah.”
Clearly angered by these comments, Adil Ray added: “But how do we get on as a society then? How do we stop people from going to food banks?”
He then asked how we stop people going to food banks, or how we stop people from not being able to put their heating on, for a start.
To this Quentin Letts refused to back down and simply said: “The core thing about politics – self-sufficiency.”
Along with Adil Ray, viewers were unimpressed by Quentin Letts’ comments, taking to Twitter to air their disgust.
One Twitter user wrote: “Why is this out of touch Tory moron being given airtime? None of this affects him anyway, he doesn’t give a shit. How about talking to people who the budget actually affects and get their opinions.”
Another added: “Quentin Letts, a man who has never had to worry about where his next meal is coming from, “would get a bit fed up” with helping people who do.”
Other reactions were similarly fierce. Here’s what people had to say.
Reactions
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