BORIS Johnson has bragged about introducing free bus passes for pensioners after being told that an elderly woman is forced to spend all day on public transport to keep her heating costs down.
The Prime Minister made the comment, which was later found to be inaccurate, as he was grilled on Good Morning Britain (GMB) about his government’s lacklustre response to the cost-of-living crisis. The Tory leader had not been interviewed on the show for five years, with his last appearance coming three years ago – during which he avoided questions by hiding in a fridge.
In response to the case of a 77-year-old viewer called Elsie, who has seen her energy bill increase from £17 to £85 a month, has cut down to one meal a day and travels on buses all day to stay out of the house and reduce her bills, Johnson said: “I don’t want Elsie to cut back on anything.”
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The former London mayor added: “Just to remind you, the 24-hour Freedom Bus Pass was actually something that I actually introduced.”
Presenter Susanna Reid replied: “So Elsie should be grateful?”
The Prime Minister insisted there are “plenty of things more that we are doing”, adding: “What we want to do is make sure that we have people who are in particular hardship looked after by their councils, so we are putting much more money into local councils.
“We have the particular payments to help elderly people in particular with the cost of heating.”
.@susannareid100 tells the PM about 77-year-old Elsie who eats one meal a day and stays on the bus all day to avoid using energy at home. She questions the PM about the comments he made about people having to make choices about what they spend their money on. pic.twitter.com/26b7kPuBNh
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) May 3, 2022
The Freedom Bus Pass has in fact existed in various forms since 1973. Johnson did reinstate it as Mayor of London in 2012 for those aged 60 and older, though it is not valid for 24 hours.
Qualification with the benefit had previously been rising in line with the retirement age. As a 77-year-old, Elsie would have been eligible regardless of Johnson's intervention.
In response to the Prime Minister’s comments about Elsie, Labour's shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “It is utterly shameful that pensioners have no choice but to sit on the bus all day to avoid racking up heating bills at home, or are left shivering in blankets and only eating one meal a day.
“For Boris Johnson to respond by boasting about the London bus pass reveals just how out of touch this narcissistic Prime Minister is.”
MP David Lammy added: "Imagine responding to a story about a 77 year old woman who sits on buses all day because she can’t afford heating by boasting that you made it easier for her to sit on buses.
"Tone-deaf, arrogant and out of touch, in a cost of living crisis. Boris Johnson it is time to go."
Imagine responding to a story about a 77 year old woman who sits on buses all day because she can’t afford heating by boasting that you made it easier for her to sit on buses. Tone-deaf, arrogant and out of touch, in a cost of living crisis.@BorisJohnson it is time to go.
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) May 3, 2022
SNP MP John Nicolson added: "Entitled and full of bluster Boris Johnson floundered in that encounter with a well-briefed and focused Susanna Reid. His answer on Elsie – cold and riding a bus for hours to save money ... was so revealing. He can’t imagine her life and doesn’t care to."
The Conservative leader insisted the Government is doing “everything we can” to help with the cost-of-living crisis – but also said "there is more that we can do".
He claimed that increasing state support beyond its current levels could drive inflation even higher.
There is a “global context” caused by a surge in energy prices which is hitting all aspects of the economy including food, he said, adding: “The cost of chickens is crazy.”
On energy, Johnson commented: “This country is in the insane position of having to take in, pipe in, electricity from France and elsewhere because we haven’t done enough to invest in our own security of energy and electricity.”
His comments came as BP group plunged to a $23 billion (£18.4bn) replacement cost loss for the first three months of the year after its decision to ditch its near-20% stake in oil producer Rosneft, which it co-owned with the Kremlin, in response to the Ukraine war.
But, with the one-off charge stripped out, its underlying replacement cost profits more than doubled to $6.2bn (£5bn) from $2.6bn (£2.1bn) a year ago thanks to the rocketing cost of crude.
Under pressure from opposition politicians to impose a one-off levy on oil company profits, Johnson said: “If you put a windfall tax on the energy companies, what that means is that you discourage them from making the investments that we want to see that will, in the end, keep energy price prices lower for everybody.”
Challenged about benefits failing to keep pace with rising inflation, he said: “We have a short-term hit caused by the spike in energy prices across the world.
“If we respond by driving up prices and costs across the board in this country, responding by the Government stepping in and driving up inflation, that will hit everybody.
“And that will mean that people’s interest rates on their mortgages go up, the cost of borrowing goes up, and we face an even worse problem.”
The Government has set out a £9bn package of loans to cut energy bills and council tax rebates, but the Tory leader faces calls to go further.
“I accept that those contributions from the taxpayer – because that’s what it is, taxpayers’ money – isn’t going to be enough immediately to cover everybody’s costs.”
Put to him that means the Government is not doing everything it can, Johnson admitted: “There is more that we can do.
“But the crucial thing is to make sure we deal with the prices over the medium and long term.”
Challenged about benefits failing to keep pace with rising inflation, he said: “We have a short-term hit caused by the spike in energy prices across the world.
“If we respond by driving up prices and costs across the board in this country, responding by the Government stepping in and driving up inflation, that will hit everybody.
“And that will mean that people’s interest rates on their mortgages go up, the cost of borrowing goes up, and we face an even worse problem.”
Partygate
Johnson said he is “getting on with the job” when he was asked why he will not resign over the partygate scandal, breaking the law and accusations that he misled Parliament.
Asked about his claims that he is an honest person, the Prime Minister said: “I have apologised for the things we got wrong during the pandemic.”
Pressed on the issue, he said: “With great respect, I’m going to have to ask you to wait until the end of the investigation.”
He added: “I will make sure that, as soon as I’m able to say something on the conclusion of the investigation, you will have a lot more on it.”
Asked why he should not resign like Matt Hancock as health secretary and Allegra Stratton as Downing Street press secretary, Johnson said: “I’m getting on with the job that I was elected to do and discharge the mandate that I was given, and I’m proud of what we have been doing.”
Ukraine crisis
The Prime Minister, who is addressing the Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday, also admitted the UK could have reacted faster in helping refugees amid widespread criticism that families are being delayed in reaching safety.
Johnson said “large numbers” of those fleeing the war are now coming to Britain.
Pressed on why the UK is making it harder for refugees than other European countries, he defended the Government’s current efforts.
“Well, we have done a huge amount to help Ukrainian women and children in the area but we’re now seeing large numbers come to the UK,” the PM said.
“So far, 86,000 visas have been issued and 27,000 are already here and I want to say, thank you – 27,000 is a lot and it’s growing fast and I want to pay tribute to all those who are helping to look after Ukrainians.
“Could we have done it faster? Yes, perhaps we could.”
Asked why the UK is not offering visa-free travel to Ukrainians, Johnson said that in a wartime situation, some people might be “pretending” to be refugees.
He said: “It’s important to protect the system from those who might want to abuse it.
“It’s also important to protect the women and children from coming to somewhere where they’re not going to get the welcome that we would want, so that’s why the screening and all the work we’ve done to make sure that we match up people in the right way, and the results are starting to be really excellent, you’re seeing large numbers now.”
When it was put to him that only a fraction of those who have applied for visas have arrived in the UK, Johnson responded: “Quite a big fraction.”
