Business Secretary Peter Kyle was grilled on Good Morning Britain.
Ed Balls and Peter Kyle locked horns on Good Morning Britain (Image: ITV)
Ed Balls and Peter Kyle were unable to stop talking over each other as they clashed on Good Morning Britain. The Business Secretary appeared on the ITV programme just days before Rachel Reeves officially sets out plans in her Autumn Budget. At the start of their interview with the politician, Ed and Susanna reminded Kyle of the Chancellor’s promise from last year not to raise taxes again. Ed asked: “How are you going to explain to the CBI why there are going to be more tax rises when she told us a year ago that she was done with the parliament?”
The Labour minister responded: “We’ve been listening closely to business in opposition and government. They asked us to lower the cost of energy and today I’m announcing a scheme that will lower the cost of energy by 25 per cent for those 7,000 businesses that are doing manufacturing around the country.” Kyle, 55, also highlighted how he has reduced regulatory burdens by £240 million annually and introduced an industrial strategy that ensures a decade of policy certainty moving forward, insisting the government has delivered key demands the business community has asked for.
But his response was far from satisfactory as Ed hit out: “Are you going to have a go at answering my question or not?”
The stuttering MP replied: “I’ve spelt out what we have done for business. When it comes to the taxation and the fiscal changes that may or may not be made on Wednesday, you know better than anyone else that I can’t talk in detail about it.”
Pointing out that Rachel Reeves has gone back on her promise, Ed asked once again how Kyle is planning to explain it to the CBI.
He still avoided answering directly, responding: “Let’s just wait and see what happens on Wednesday.”
The presenters clashed with the politician after he failed to answer several questions (Image: ITV)
Kyle explained the conversations he has had have been from people begging the government to act on energy prices and the opportunities that have come from the three trade deals the government has struck.
Clearly frustrated by the answer, Susanna could be heard saying: “Oh. Peter Kyle.”
Stepping in, a smirking Ed asked: “As business secretary, nobody has mentioned to you from the business community in recent days and weeks, that this budget leaking and speculation has been damaging for investment of British business? Nobody has mentioned that to you at all?”
When Kyle admitted that those conversations have been had, Ed pressed: “And what do you say to them when they mention it?”
The interview comes just days before Rachel Reeves’ autumn budget (Image: Getty)
Kyle replied: “I say, ‘I’m listening to you and I will always strive to do better when you think I can do better.'”
Asked how that is received, Kyle declared: “It goes down fantastically well because it’s about time they have a government and secretary of state that’s listening to them.”
Ed attempted to go on step further, asking whether he would say that to the CBI in the hall. But he was stopped in his tracks by Susanna who quickly brought the interview to a close.
Issuing a jab at the Labour MP, Susanna quipped: “We have to discuss that with Andrew and Kevin next and we’ll discuss whether he has selective hearing, the business secretary.”
