'Literally Making Things Up': Victoria Derbyshire Roasts Tory Minister Over Labour Tax Claims

Victoria Derbyshire accused a Tory minister of “literally making things up” as the pair clashed over Labour’s tax plans.

Chris Philp had just repeated heavily-contested claims that a Labour government will put up taxes by £2,000 per household over the next five years.

The policing minister was appearing on BBC Two′s Newsnight programme with just three days to go until the general election.

He said: “We’ve seen from the analysis that was done and debated extensively four or five weeks ago that there are those 19 Labour spending pledges, offset by eight revenue raisers that have a £38bn hole, which means the average working family over the next parliament will pay £2,000 in extra taxation.”

Derbyshire then interrupted Philp to tell him: “Those figures, as you know, have been widely ridiculed. The top civil servant at the Treasury said specifically do not present those figures as though they have been compiled by impartial civil servants.”

The furious minister then hit back: “Hang on, he was talking about the totals. It’s true the civil servants didn’t add them up, but 21 of those 27 measures by Treasury officials, and about three or four more came from government departments. Two of them came from the Labour Party themselves and one of them came from an investment bank.

“It is extremely well sourced and it’s extremely well laid out, it’s a public document. If you Google it, your viewers and listeners can find it and it adds up to a £38bn black hole over the course of the next parliament, which is £2,000 per working household that can only be paid for by tax increases.”

But Derbyshire then asked: “Mr Philp, is this how desperate you are now? You’re literally making things up.”

The minister then replied: “Well that’s absolute nonsense.”