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Sophy Ridge turned that ‘£2k tax rise’ back on the Tories and then had the definitive final word and people loved it

John Plunkett. Updated June 6th, 2024

Not for the first time Sky News’s Sophy Ridge has had us clapping at the telly in a way that would be frankly embarrassing if there was anyone around to see us.

Sky’s lead politics presenter wasn’t taking any of this Conservative Party nonsense about Labour’s supposed £2,000 tax rise when she interviewed Tory MP and economic secretary to the Treasury, Bim Afolami.

She was keen to ask him how much taxes have risen under the Tories and it makes for a most invigorating 100 seconds or so of telly.

And we mention it not just because of that interview, which has just gone viral, but because of what the Sky presenter tweeted later, which did exactly the same.

And here’s what she had to say in full.

‘Can I be honest with you? I didn’t want to start the programme talking about the Conservative claim that a Labour Government would cost you £2,000 in extra taxes.

‘It’s obviously been disputed. Not just because it’s cumulative rather than annual – but because it’s based on an awful lot of assumptions, with some of the conclusions even being disowned by the authors who did the research.

‘But look – I’m being sucked down the rabbit hole now too.

‘There are two reasons I don’t want to talk about the £2,000 claim.

‘The first is because the Conservatives WANT us to talk about it – because even if we’re discussing the fact the number is being disputed, we’re still talking about Labour putting up tax.

‘But the second reason is even more important. The parties are both arguing about whether each others sums add up. Well… they don’t, do they?

‘Both of them are promising they won’t raise income tax, national insurance, or VAT – three fifths of the total tax revenue. Nobody wants to borrow other than to invest. Health, schools and defence are all ring fenced from spending cuts in some form.

‘I genuinely don’t understand how this all adds up. Not even close. Public spending projections after the next election have been described as a “fantasy” by economists – the tax burden is set to hit a historic high – and we’re spending more on debt interest payments than education.

‘Forget about the quibbling over a few numbers here and there. Because it doesn’t seem to me like ANY party is being honest about just how difficult it will be after the election… and the kind of choices that the next Government will have to make – no matter who it turns out to be.’

Amen to that.

And it turned out we weren’t the only one applauding.

To conclude …

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Jon Richardson in a bubble bath explaining how Rishi Sunak made his millions was magnificently done

Source @SophyRidgeSky