‘Telling porkies!’ Kay Burley skewers minister as bombshell poll ties Labour with Tories.uk
Kay Burley had Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson squirming live on air after confronting her with a new poll showing 61% public dissatisfaction with the Government.
Bridget Phillipson squirmed in a tense grilling on Sky News as presenter Kay Burley accused the minister’s Labour colleagues of “telling porkies”.
The breakfast show host challenged the Education Secretary about the Government’s catastrophic approval ratings, telling her: “Sixty-one per cent of people are dissatisfied with the Prime Minister.”
She also highlighted that Labour is tied with the Conservatives on a public satisfaction rating of just 26%, before confronting the minister about the unpopular rise in employers’ National Insurance.
Ms Phillipson started by defending the administration, saying: “We’ve had to make some tough choices as a new government to stabilise the economy and to get Britain back on track. We know it’s been a challenge.
“But what I’m talking to you about today is the difference we will make to transform children’s life choices. So, yes, there are tough choices and with that you do run the risk of unpopularity.”
Bridget Phillipson was questioned by Kay Burley on Sky News (Image: Sky News)
Burley asked whether Labour politicians were “telling porkies” during the General Election campaign, when they promised not to raise taxes on working people.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves claimed the rise in the National Insurance employers pay – from 13.8% to 15% – fulfilled that election pledge, but many have said workers will ultimately pay the bill.
Ms Phillipson blamed a £22billion black hole in the public finances left behind by the Conservatives, but Burley shot back: “You added to that.”
Bridget Phillipson says there is ‘a lot that the Government is getting on and doing’ (Image: Getty)
Ms Phillipson argued: “The fundamental principle is that we have sought to stabilise the economy and get Britain back on track and to invest in our public services, our health services and schools through that budget process.
“And that has required us to take decisions, for example, around National Insurance contributions where it comes to employers. There is a lot that we are getting on and doing.
“The next general election is a good while off and in that time we will seek to deliver what the British people voted for, which was change and we’ll stand on our record at the next election.
Kay Burley has worked at Sky for nearly 40 years (Image: Getty)
“Polls come and go – they go up and down. That’s just the nature of these things.”
It is reported that Burley is set to leave the Sky News breakfast show after five years. She has worked at Sky in some capacity for nearly 40 years.
