Ex-Home Secretary Suella Braverman has accused Chancellor Rachel Reeves of “sticking two fingers up” at GB News viewers after she failed to answer a question from The People’s Channel’s political editor Christopher Hope.
The Chancellor was fielding questions from journalists in her keynote pre-Budget speech this morning.
Chopper recalled the briefing “felt like going to the dentist, having anaesthetic, and then waiting three weeks for the tooth to be pulled”.
However, Ms Reeves overlooked Chopper in a major snub from the Chancellor.
Mrs Braverman appeared on Martin’s show this afternoon
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GB NEWS
After Ms Reeves had wrapped up her speech to the Westminster audience packed full of press, Chopper raised his hand to quiz the Chancellor ahead of the much-anticipated Autumn Budget.
GB News’s political editor said: “I had my hand up for GB News, the People’s Channel, we’ve been the biggest news channel in the country for four months running.
“But she looked at me and ignored the question.”
Following the Chancellor’s snub, Mrs Braverman shamed Ms Reeves for ignoring GB News.
Speaking to Chopper and fellow GB News star Martin Daubney, the ex-Home Secretary said: “I think it was telling this morning, Chris, that Rachel Reeves refused to take a question from the People’s Channel. Says it all. They’re scared.”
“And I think that’s really sticking two fingers up to the British people.
“People are voting with their feet, they’re watching GB News in very very high and unprecedented numbers. That’s a vote of confidence in you.
“The Government should take note of that and pay due deference to that.”
Meanwhile, GB News presenter Eamonn Holmes called the snub “a real shame” for viewers hoping to hear from the Chancellor.
On Monday, latest ratings have revealed the People’s Channel “soundly beat” both the BBC News Channel and Sky News in October, for the fourth month running.
As a result, GB News has now cemented its position as the number one channel for breaking news.
However, on Martin’s show, the former Home Secretary wielded the axe when it came to discussing Labour’s upcoming Budget amid speculation that income tax rises could be on the table.
Ms Reeves has “made a lot of spending decisions, big tax rises, and she’s seeing the effects of those today”, she told Martin.
Rachel Reeves gave a major Budget update earlier today, seemingly opening the door to further huge tax rises
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REUTERS“It’s a great betrayal. The Labour team expressly promised not to raise income tax, VAT or National Insurance at the General Election.”
Mrs Braverman added that the potential move would be a “massive breach of [Rachel Reeves’] promise”.
She explained: “I just don’t see how she’ll be able to recover from that because the very little trust in this Government will be squandered.”
When grilled, Ms Reeves’ spokesman said that the Chancellor does not regret potential breaches of Labour’s manifesto promise not to raise certain taxes.
“Those manifesto commitments were made because we recognised that working people had been asked to pay the price of 14 years of Conservative failure.”
Pressed on concerns that breaking manifesto pledges could further erode public trust in politicians, Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman added: “Voters put their trust in Government to make tough decisions, not just popular ones.
“We’ll do whatever is necessary to protect families from high inflation and interest rates, protect our public services and guarantee the investment necessary for our economic future.”