The cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi has apologised for the economic turmoil that followed the government’s mini-budget.
The chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster made the apology after clashing with the Talk TV presenter Piers Morgan on Thursday night’s Question Time on BBC One. The pair appeared on the political panel show, along with the Succession actor Brian Cox, the farmer Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones and the Labour MP Lisa Nandy.
The pound plummeted in value against the dollar after Kwasi Kwarteng’s announcement of a series of tax cuts, including scrapping the 45p rate of income tax for higher earners, a move which Liz Truss abandoned in the middle of her party’s conference.
Morgan challenged Zahawi to say sorry to the country for the economic turmoil that followed the mini-budget.
Zahawi said: “Liz said: ‘I’ve listened and I get it,’ which is why 95% of her economic policy, of her growth plan, she wanted to protect and she will deliver, and the 5% which was damaging she cut, you cut and you move forward.”
The minister attempted to argue that Vladimir Putin would want the country to be divided, which caused the audience to erupt into laughter.
“Ask yourself this question: what would Vladimir Putin want us to do? He would want us to be divided right now, because he’s using energy …” he said.
Morgan then asked Zahawi again if he was sorry, and the former chancellor said “of course” he was.
“Of course I’m sorry, absolutely,” he said.
He added: “By the way there’s nothing wrong with saying: ‘I get it, I’ve listened, and I’ve acted, and 95% of what I want to do I’m going to deliver, and I’ll drop the 5%’ – that’s a good thing.”
