Question
That was a shockingly complacent response by the Government Minister. The latest Office for Budget Responsibility forecast shows that this Labour Government will borrow nearly a quarter of a trillion pounds more in just two years, this year and next year, costing every household an extra £476 a year in additional debt interest. Does the Chancellor accept not only that was this Budget a lost opportunity to bring borrowing under control, but that Labour’s addiction to borrowing is bleeding the British people dry?50% point-scoring
Answer
Our record is reducing borrowing. The hon. Member’s record is being a Minister under Liz Truss. What is the Leader of the Opposition’s big idea now? It is appointing the Liz Truss fanboy and coming back to the Liz Truss playbook, promising over £30 billion of unfunded tax cuts. The Conservative party is offering lettuce-wilting levels of fiscal incontinence.80% point-scoring
Verdict: RED (15/100)
The reply only indirectly touches the first point, the claim of a lost opportunity, by asserting that the Government's record is reducing borrowing. It never says whether the Chancellor accepts the claim, and it gives no figures or evidence. The second point, whether the Government's own borrowing is an addiction, is not answered: the reply turns to attacks on the Conservative party's record, Liz Truss and proposed tax cuts. A questioner would most likely need to table a follow-up to get a clear, specific response.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether the Chancellor accepts that this Budget was a lost opportunity to bring borrowing under control. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply asserts the Government's record is reducing borrowing, which implicitly rejects the claim of a lost opportunity, but it never directly answers whether the Chancellor accepts that point and gives no figures or evidence for the claim. |
| Whether the Chancellor accepts that Labour's borrowing is an addiction that is bleeding the British people dry. | Not Addressed | Generic MISREADS QUESTION | None of the statements address whether Labour's borrowing is an addiction; they deflect to attacks on the Conservative party's record, Liz Truss, and proposed tax cuts, so the question about the Government's own borrowing goes unanswered. |