The energy minister insisting a loan is a ‘discount’ on Question Time is unintentionally hilarious

With the country in the midst of an unprecedented cost of living crisis, chancellor Rishi Sunak did his bit for the cause by giving everyone a £200 loan to help pay for their energy bills.

People will pay back the loan in £40 chunks over their coming bills, but the government is awfully keen to downplay the fact it’s a loan.

They prefer to call it a ‘discount’ – even though it clearly isn’t – and energy minister Greg Hands was at it again on Question Time on Thursday night.

And it’s a properly jaw-dropping watch, given entirely the response he deserved from the Question Time audience.

“It’s not a loan, it is a discount”

“What are you all shouting? They’re saying it’s a loan”@Greghands tries to explain to the #bbcqt audience why the government’s £200 energy discount is not a loan. pic.twitter.com/jstBCNxD9H

— BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) April 7, 2022

It’s not a loan, it’s a discount you have to pay back! WTF?

And here’s exactly what people made of that.

1.

This like a panto gone horribly wrong. "A loan!" shout the audience when asked to describe @RishiSunak's energy 'rebate'. The derisive laughter is quite something. https://t.co/hE7Quk3ETR

— Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) April 8, 2022

2.

Like watching a man drowning in his own excrement.

— Bearded Lord Folly 💙 #FBPPR #FBPA #PATH (@MoonrakerXI) April 7, 2022

3.

https://twitter.com/AngelaRayner/status/1512319313990111235?s=20&t=GGNp-kraB-fdaDBUNKNueQ

4.

Sounds like a loan if you have to pay it back Greg!#bbcqt #JohnsonOut73

— The Last Girly Swots to join Tw❄️tter! 😷 💙 🇺🇦 (@TheLastPersont2) April 7, 2022

5.

https://twitter.com/snb19692/status/1512332569056010240?s=20&t=GGNp-kraB-fdaDBUNKNueQ

6.

Don’t they realise they lose all credibility when they gaslight us like this. Do they really believe themselves when they come out with this rubbish?

— The Road to Brescia (@roadtobrescia) April 7, 2022

7.

https://twitter.com/uk_domain_names/status/1512353160551178240?s=20&t=GGNp-kraB-fdaDBUNKNueQ

8.

He's a Tory what does anyone expect. They have forgotten what telling the truth is like.

— 🇺🇦 Prof Tarquin Thunderpenus, Uni of Facebook (@BillBillBill06) April 7, 2022

9.

https://twitter.com/juliasuzanne76/status/1512329620208721921?s=20&t=GGNp-kraB-fdaDBUNKNueQ

To conclude …

This is brilliant

Greg hands send the audience & the panel in to despair & laughter

On the Rishi Sunak, loan not loan

It’s not a loan, it’s a discount you have to pay back 🤯

Even Fiona Bruce joined in mocking him 😮😮😮#questiontime #torylies #bbcqt pic.twitter.com/rAo46ekwws

— kerry ✊💙🇺🇦 (@hewitson10) April 7, 2022

And this.

Don’t need any polls to see that the Tories have lost the public, just watch this minute and a half. pic.twitter.com/Nvw4Nmcplo

— Brendan May (@bmay) April 7, 2022

Oh, and this.

https://twitter.com/RobertLindsay/status/1512403677922922500?s=20&t=dbHC_h-hHntDSQ3jy3Ru1A

READ MORE

James Cleverly said it was sexist to question Rishi Sunak’s wife’s tax – only 5 responses you need

Source Twitter @bbcquestiontime