Kemi Badenoch was condemned by a caller on live radio for her words labelling Rachel Reeves’ Budget as one “for Benefits Street.”
On Wednesday the chancellor gave one of the most chaotic Budgets in recent memory.
With a £20bn financial black hole to fill, the chancellor confirmed £26bn in tax increases, which included a ‘mansion tax’, a new mileage tax on electric vehicles and taxes on private pension savings.
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Reeves also announced the two-child benefit cap would be scrapped, and the government’s fiscal headroom will expand to £22bn in five years’ time.
The Conservatives haven’t held back in their criticism of the budget, with Kemi Badenoch labelling it a ‘budget for Benefits Street’, in a clear dig at the decision to live the two-child benefit cap.
The Tory leader has been criticised by some for her choice of language, and when she appeared on LBC later on Wednesday, one caller didn’t shy away from telling Badenoch what for.
The woman, called Kirsty, slammed Badenoch for her language, telling her: “As a full-time social worker and a single mother of three who relies on universal credit despite working, I need to tell you that that language fuels stigma and backlash on families who are simply trying to stay afloat.”
She hit out at Badenoch for suggesting people would have children simply to get more benefits, labelling this “offensive and untrue.”
A sheepish Badenoch attempted to justify her cruel words, but Kirsty hit back, explaining the both financial and moral benefits of lifting the cap.
The government estimates that lifting the two-child benefit cap will mean 450,000 fewer children are in poverty in five years time.
The move will cost £3bn, but on Thursday Keir Starmer strongly defended it, saying that child poverty in the UK is “abhorrent” and he is “absolutely determined to keep it down”.
“It’s a very good thing for those children,” he added.