Stephen Dixon was left astounded after a GB News guest insisted that the Labour Government is “putting money in people’s pockets”.
Speaking on the People’s Channel about the state of the British economy when limited growth has been recorded, political commentator Dominic Moffitt gave an ardent defence of the Treasury’s record.
“What the reality of the situation is that we’ve got the second highest growth in the G7,” he told Stephen.
As Mr Moffitt moved on to discuss Labour’s impact on wages, the GB News star was quick to interject, saying, almost incredulously: “Sorry?!”
The GB News hosts were left nonplussed when a commentator lauded Labour’s economic record
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GB NEWS
Ploughing on regardless, Mr Moffitt insisted that wages grew more under Labour than in the last decade of Tory rule, adding: “Growth is at a nine-year high.”
Despite much of Sir Keir Starmer’s party basing their election campaign upon dreams of economic growth, the latest official figures have demonstrated the economy growing a limited 0.3 per cent in the three months to August.
The Treasury has insisted that Britain is the fastest growing economy in the G7 at the same time speculation is beginning to swirl about fresh tax hikes with Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget creeping ever closer.
With Stephen pointing out the latest economic figures, Mr Moffitt retorted: “Whatever you’re saying about the economy, businesses don’t agree.
“Don’t they? Don’t they?” Stephen responded. “I mean, really, you only have to look at the number of businesses who aren’t hiring at the moment because of the national insurance tax.”
The commentator still insisted that business confidence at a nine-year high, adding: “That is a true record of how businesses actually feel, whether or not we’ve got anecdotal feelings that some businesses aren’t hiring at the moment.
“The fact is, people are having money put in their pocket by a Labour Government that has promised 30 hours of free childcare a week.
“That’s getting people back into work, and that we’ve got an economy that’s actually finally growing and stabilising.”
“Dominic, we’ve got the unemployment rate hitting a four-year high, that came out yesterday.
“I mean, a number of businesses simply are not able to afford to keep people on. They’re having to let people go,” co-host Ellie Costello added.
Earlier this week, unemployment figures skyrocketed to its highest point since the pandemic. Now, more than 1.7million Britons are out of work.
The statistics show a 60,000 jump on the previous quarter, and is the highest peak since November 2020 to January 2021, when the nation was enduring lockdown.
Ms Reeves will set out her next Budget on November 26
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GETTYWeighing in on the matter, conservative commentator Kane Blackwell said: “People do not feel better off. They feel worse off.
“Now you can say that’s anecdotal. You can say that, but it doesn’t really matter; it’s what people feel.
“So if they are not actually feeling that the economic success of this Government, as you apparently say it is, then it really doesn’t matter if the country isn’t going to feel it and isn’t actually experiencing all these great and wonderful things; you haven’t actually done the job that you need to do.”
Mr Blackwell called for the return of “sound fiscal management”, blasting skyrocketing spending and “no real commitment”.
Ms Reeves will set out her next Budget on November 26.