Sarah Pochin has brutally shut down an ex-Labour candidate’s claim that the country’s economy is being “well managed” by the Government.

Debating Labour’s handling of the nation since coming into power, the Reform UK MP told Kevin Craig that wealth creators are “leaving Britain because of your taxes”.

Defending the Labour Government, Mr Craig told GB News: “My personal view is that there’s no doubt that the elections in May are going to be difficult for Labour.

“My personal view is that the Government was elected to serve for five years and start to transform the country.”

Slamming Reform, he swiped: “All this chatter you get from Reform about the status quo and the big idea, the change is happening right in front of our eyes, the economy is being well managed.

“Nigel Farage is on the record as supporting Liz Truss’s disastrous Budget, that’s a fact.”

He added: “There’s the national security issues – it wasn’t a Labour person that was taking money from Russia and got kicked out, it was a Reform politician.

“Do you want an NHS that serves everybody, or do you want to bring privatisation into it? Everybody’s talking about people having to pay for services.

“Do you want an economy where interest rates come down steadily? We’re building more houses, and also here’s a big deal about this country.

“Do you want to be proud of our diversity, or do you want to try and use immigration and issues to try and tear people apart?”

Ms Pochin responded: “We’re proud of our British culture. You say you’re building more houses, who for? Illegal migrants?

“You talk about the economy, oh my goodness, there are 100,000 jobs that have been lost already in the hospitality sector since you came to power.”

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She added: “We know that one pub a day is shutting under this Labour Government. You have put up National Insurance for small businesses, you have put up the minimum wage, businesses are struggling.

“They cannot cope with your policies and they are closing.”

Mr Craig hit back: “You say we put up the minimum wage, people have had more pay rises under this Government than they did in the decade before.

“And also, billions of pounds have come in because Labour is full of business people, wealth creators like me, who know about aspiration and profits. And it’s been difficult, but things are starting to turn.”

Ms Pochin then swiped: “I couldn’t disagree with you more. Creators are leaving this country because of your taxes on wealth creators.

Handing the last word to Ms Pochin, host Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “I’m allowing Sarah the final word, partly ’cause I agree with her and I think that the Tories and Reform should come together because we’re broadly on the same side.”

Mr Craig interjected: “You are the same party!”

Jacob then concluded: “Well, let’s hope so. The broad Tory family!”

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