‘What’s your plan?’ Labour MP flounders as he’s asked to name one flagship Labour policy
A top Labour spokesman infuriated Mishal Husain when he couldn't list a tangible Labour offering.
Mishal Husain asks for Labour's spox to list one flagship policy offering
One of Labour’s most senior frontbenchers appeared to infuriate BBC Radio 4 Today’s Mishal Husain this morning after he struggled to list a single proper Labour policy.
Following the party’s ditching of their £28billion-a-year for green investment, Labour’s shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury was probed about the party’s economic offering ahead of Rachel Reeves speaking to business leaders later today.
Asked what Labour’s new flagship policy is to boost economic growth, Darren Jones insisted their plan for the economy “was always more than just net zero”.
He claimed Labour’s three-pronged policy for the economy is to return “stability, investment and reform”.
He said: “We need stability both in our politics and in our economic institutions, because after so many years of failure from the Conservatives, everybody can see that the cost of their chaos has had a real impact on family finances and the finances of the country, as a consequence of that the private sector has not been investing in the UK…”
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At this point, Mishal Husain cut Mr Jones off, pointing out his waffle was an “analysis… not a memorable pledge”.
She pointed out: “It’s not something that replaces the £28 billion-a-year of green investment - what replaces that? What’s your plan to boost economic growth?”
Again, Labour’s spokesman issued another soundbite, saying: “We need to get away from this sticking plaster approach to politics, if I may say so.”
He accused Ms Husain of asking him for a “catchy slogan”, however she repeated her actual request for “a policy - a flagship policy is what I’m asking for”.
Mr Jones insisted that stability “is a policy”, claiming the Tories have discredited the independence of the Bank of England as well as discrediting the OBR and backing unfunded tax cuts.
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The infuriated BBC presenter once again cut him off, pointing out: “You’re continuing to analysis what they say and your view of them”.
She said: “Stability is not an active policy, is it?”
Mr Jones insisted “it has to be now”, before Ms Husain sarcastically interjected: “So that’s the replacement.”
She said: “No more £28billion a year of green investment, ‘Vote Labour get stability’?”
Mr Jones insisted the public are “crying out for stability, hence the elections last week”.
He said: “In normal circumstances, we wouldn’t be arguing about economic stability”.
Once again the Today presenter demanded to know whether that is “enough of an offer” in a General Election year.
Ms Husain contrasted Labour’s failure to offer policies nationally when their newly elected mayors, including Andy Turnham and Sadiq Khan, are putting forward bold offerings on council homes and Brexit.
Mr Jones said all Labour mayors are calling for investment and reform, Labour’s other two key economic platforms.
