AFTER LAST WEEK’S rather testy interview between Eamonn Holmes and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Sky News Sunrise had another UK leader on their show this morning. Prime Minster David Cameron.
It’s fair to say things went a little differently.
The Conservatives are currently in Manchester for their party conference, with Cameron set to give his main speech tomorrow.
Speaking this morning to Sky News, Cameron was actually asked first about Corbyn. The Labour leader is in Manchester himself, breaking by convention and speaking at a rally opposing austerity on the fringes of the Tory conference.
Holmes asked the Prime Minster whether he felt Corbyn should be there at all.
“He can go where he likes and say what he likes, I’m not going to restrict his movements. I think what’s more worrying is what he’s saying,” said the Prime Minister before speaking about the budget deficit.
“If you ignore a budget deficit, and go on borrowing every year, you don’t help the poorest in your country, you hurt the poorest in you country.”
The Conservative government recently passed cuts to tax relief for poorer families, with Holmes putting it to Cameron that these have been branded as “disgraceful” by political opponents.
“What we’re trying to do is moving towards an economy where instead of low pay, high welfare and high taxes, we have higher pay, lower taxes and lower welfare,” Cameron responded.
‘To me that sounds like, to make an omelette you’ve got to crack a few eggs,” Holmes said, summarising the Prime Minister’s answer.
After discussing immigration and moving onto jobs, the conversation then turned to Cameron’s own position and whether he’d remain for a third-term in office. He has indicated that he wouldn’t.
“That’s a great link Eamonn,” the Prime Minister said.
“I’m learning from the master here,” replied Holmes.
Unsurprisingly, some people pointed out the difference in tone between today’s interview and last week’s one with Corbyn.
Successor
The interview came the day after British finance minister George Osborne made his own speech at the conference and received two standing ovations.
Osborne, 44, has been Chancellor of the Exchequer since 2010 and has made inroads into the traditional territory of the opposition Labour party with recent policy announcements including an increase of the minimum wage.
Home Secretary Theresa May also spoke this morning saying that controlled immigration is needed because immigration that’s “too high” makes it “impossible to build a cohesive society”.
- With reporting from © – AFP 2014
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