Robert ‘Hide the Murals’ Jenrick vowed to end tourist attraction discounts for benefits claimants, and got dragged into next week – 19 top takedowns
As the summer holidays get closer, parents and carers on a tight budget will be entering a state of anxiety over how they’ll keep their children fed and entertained for six weeks.
One option for the entertainment part is to take advantage of discounts for benefits claimants at a number of attractions, such as zoos, theatres, and National Trust sites. Those discounts have recently fallen under the critical eye of the Spectator.
You don’t need to fork out your hard-earned cash to get through the paywall to see which angle they’ve gone for. Author Michael Simmons shared a screenshot and went fishing for like minds.
Is this fair? pic.twitter.com/0EXdRI8Pdk
— Michael Simmons (@Simmons__) April 9, 2026
He found some.
I genuinely can’t believe I’m reading this correctly!!!
Why should being on benefits entitle someone to a near free trip to some of London’s biggest tourist attractions? These are places that thousands of working people pay full price for every single day.
People who work hard… https://t.co/oIhPgXVzeL
— Ellie Hodges (@elliehodges62) April 9, 2026
People must wake to the full scale of the Martin Lewis Extended Universe (MLEU)
Every price has been butchered. Every payment you make has a secret tax, cross-subsidy or regulatory distortion built into it. Social Democracy is all encompassing. There is no beginning or end. https://t.co/DE0chpyF5g
— max tempers (@maxtempers) April 9, 2026
Things should be out of reach for people on benefits.
Not being able to afford things you want is the incentive to work, work harder, find better jobs or retrain. https://t.co/FZFVVjpHMP
— Steve Loftus (@LoftusSteve) April 9, 2026
Reform’s biggest Tory reject, Robert Jenrick, took time out of his busy schedule of looking for children’s murals to paint over to add to the discourse.
No.
Working people are being taken for a ride.
Under a Reform UK government you won’t be able to use benefits to get discounts like this. https://t.co/hs195hKH2O
— Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) April 9, 2026
Many of these museums – like London Zoo – are public institutions. Their management shouldn’t be charging working people more, to give discounts to those on benefits.
And the prices they charge are already ridiculously high for most families. They should be finding ways to cut…
— Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick) April 9, 2026
He’s all heart. Perhaps not much in the brain department …
Womp womp womp pic.twitter.com/OLgZozSH09
— Izzy 🐀 (@rules_of_izzy) April 9, 2026
Tweeters were as impressed as you’d expect, and Jenrick found himself on the receiving end of some frank appraisals.
1.
“Poor families should be excluded from learning about our history by visiting British cultural sites” says the patriotic reform party.
Nasty.
— Zoe Gardner (@ZoeJardiniere) April 9, 2026
2.
So working people on benefits who want to give their kids educational and cultural experiences they might otherwise be unable to access will be prevented from doing so. So says the party wanting working people to vote for them. Not sure that’s the vote winner you’d like it to be.
— OldishBird (@oldishbird1) April 9, 2026
3.
Pipe down love. https://t.co/iFTjEhePbS pic.twitter.com/W05QHtG7B2
— Florence Lox 🇬🇧🏴 (@floboflo) April 9, 2026
4.
They really hate poor people.
Now they’re moaning about people on benefits getting discounts to cultural sites, even though many people on Universal Credit also work.
Robert Jenrick says Reform will ban it, but he’s the same guy who helped his friend avoid £40 million in tax.
— Mukhtar (@I_amMukhtar) April 9, 2026
5.
While Robert Jenrick is paid for by the taxpayer, London Zoo is a charity, not a 'public institution'.
Feels weird to campaign for the Government to control how much private companies and charities should charge for tickets. https://t.co/QHnDng7pWs
— dan barker (@danbarker) April 9, 2026
6.
80k of benefits from the tax payer, and his salary is 100k. https://t.co/fApMAVU7Cw pic.twitter.com/gZu0AKAP20
— Harry Eccles (@Heccles94) April 9, 2026
7.
32% of people claiming UC are in work. The Tories have ruined this country. You are a Tory.
— IntrepidLance (@intrepidlance) April 9, 2026
8.
Taken for a ride? pic.twitter.com/5m392cM5YC
— Sean Davids (@MancTotter) April 9, 2026
9.
Younger sister spent her life on benefits. She wasn’t rich or well off.
All this rhetoric. All of it. Just to cut taxes for the 1%. All for them to increase their wealth. Imagine supporting fascism just to help the rich.
— Harry (@HarryHarryshud) April 9, 2026
10.
What a weird, petty and mean-spirited hill to die upon.
From the scumbag who painted over a mural for scared children and helped his mate dodge £45 million in tax.
— Jim Cognito (@JimCognito2016) April 9, 2026