Kemi Badenoch’s hard-hitting response to Rachel Reeves’s Budget statement sparked a fiery row on GB News, after the Tory leader’s speech was branded “cruel”.
Discussing the reaction to the Chancellor’s statement on Wednesday, broadcaster Tessa Dunlop hit out at the ongoing “hate speech” being thrown around between politicians.
In the Commons on Wednesday, Mrs Badenoch shut down Ms Reeves’s £26billion tax-hiking Budget, taking aim at her accusations of “misogyny” ahead of the statement.
The Tory leader told the Chancellor: “She whines about misogyny and mansplaining, so let me explain it to her woman to woman. People out there aren’t complaining because she’s female, they’re complaining because she’s utterly incompetent.
“I’ve identified a way to save taxpayers huge amounts of money by sacking just one person. The woman sitting opposite.”
Delivering her verdict on the speech, politicalcommentator Emma Trimble told GB News: “It was just phenomenal.
“This is the Kemi people have been waiting for and the quality of debate, the quality of discussion in the House of Commons is so unbelievably mediocre and poor that to see her being so forthright, so cutting, it was just absolutely fantastic, she landed every single point.”
Hitting back at Mrs Trimble, Ms Dunlop argued: “She called Rachel spineless, shameless, and completely incompetent?!”
Kemi Badenoch’s swipe at Rachel Reeves on Wednesday has sparked a fiery GB News row
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GB NEWS
Interjecting the panel, host Alex Armstrong said: “This is politics, this is what happens. They are very willing, Labour politicians, very willing to call Nigel Farage names, call other people on the right names, but when they get it back to them, it’s all of a sudden some sort of misogyny.
“Simply the reason why I thought, and most British people thought it was great was because it was truth telling, and it spoke the words that the people of the nation would like to say to the Chancellor.”
Disagreeing with Alex, Ms Dunlop responded: “They will not speak like that. I think the curl of her lip, I think there was a cruelty to it. Imagine being on the receiving end of that in a playground?
“In a world of divisive politics, dog whistling, hate speech, why do we want to lead from the front with performances like that, why? Why are we applauding it?”
Mrs Trimble dismissed Ms Dunlop’s argument, branding it “pathetic”.
“I think it’s pathetic to say that there is something wrong with her being so forthright in this way. I don’t think she was cruel,” she said.
Ageeing with Mrs Trimble, Alex told Ms Dunlop: “It wasn’t that unkind. I think, actually, she could have done a lot more. I think if you went to British people on the street and asked them, what would you say to Rachel Reeves, I think it would be far more damning than what Kemi Badenoch said.”
Admitting there was “some humour” to the speech, Ms Dunlop told the People’s Channel: “I like the Cheerios gag, and there were moments of humour and candour, but altogether it was one note and it was very attack dog.
Alex Armstrong agreed with Mrs Trimble and said it ‘wasn’t that unkind’
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GB NEWS
“I found it abrasive and unattractive, and I expect my politicians to lead with improved discourse.”
Pressed by Mrs Trimble on whether she would feel the same if it was “two men” sparring in the Commons, Ms Dunlop argued: “Well, I think that’s what men often do, but I don’t expect two women to ape the men, I thought we’d moved on.”
Alex interjected, hitting back: “Is that the heart of equality? That women can be just as good as men?!”
Defending Mrs Badenoch further, Mrs Trimble concluded: “She’s capable of this kind of charisma, and what the British people want is for politicians to stop being so wussy and weeping in the chamber.
“I think that she’s speaking on behalf of many British people who feel exactly as she does, and that the things that you are saying are spiteful were just simply true.”