Mark Spencer urged people to avoid ‘scaremongering’ around cost of living crisis
The Leader of the House of Commons, Mark Spencer, has been met with a wave of ridicule following his appearance on BBC Breakfast on Thursday – not least because of a rather humorous lightbox spotted on his bookshelf.
While it’s the sort of thing you tend to see around your mum’s house, displaying something like, ‘Live, Laugh, Love’, Spencer’s reads: “Sheep or Leader?”.
Those watching at home arrived at their own answer fairly quickly.
This is Mark Spencer Con MP. If you screw your eyes up the sign in the back reads sheep or leader.
Sheep, definitely a sheep this guy pic.twitter.com/gd03PNWtEj— Marion Main (@marionmain3) August 11, 2022
Spencer was being interviewed by Charlie Stayt when comfortably less than eagle-eyed viewers were able to spot the sign poking out from the background and while many were amused, others were simply annoyed.
This Tory slimeball has an illuminated box saying 'Sheep or leader?' Oh ffs….what is wrong with these people?#BBCBreakfast pic.twitter.com/5E10eu120Z
— Steve Hyett (@SteveHyett) August 11, 2022
Having admitted to the presenter that Cabinet has not met since toward the end of July, social media was awash with people angered by his suggestion that the people need to avoid “scaremongering” amid the ongoing energy price surge and cost of living crisis.
Charlie Stayt: When was the last time the cabinet meet?
Mark Spencer(Leader HoC): The end of July.. but the govt continues to function
Charlie Stayt: Martin Lewis says this is on the scale of the pandemic… so why are you not meeting & talking about this? #BBCBreakfast pic.twitter.com/e9pbfx9LzV
— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) August 11, 2022
Mark Spencer with one of the most bizarre interviews, telling people not to “scaremonger” & pretending they don’t know the price cap is going up. You don’t wait for the crisis, you act now. Another arrogant member of cabinet who has no grasp of reality. #BBCBreakfast
— Alex Mc (@aa_mcintosh22) August 11, 2022
Spencer also angered LBC listeners for spouting similarly prepared responses to Nick Ferrari. Quizzed on the sign by the presenter as to whether it could be interpreted as a dig at one of the Prime Ministerial hopefuls in Liz Truss, Spencer said it was simply his kids “taking the mickey” out of his role.
They weren’t the only ones it would seem.
https://twitter.com/Stuzipants/status/1557622929239805953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1557622929239805953%7Ctwgr%5Ee7ddd738faca640c7f5f75636f127fddd7e877ac%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.joe.co.uk%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D353330action%3Dedit
Ferrari went on to ask whether an emergency budget is needed for whoever steps into office, a possibility put forward by Truss herself along with the proposition of “windfall taxes” — both of which he was quick to dismiss.
Resisting the comparison of Ms Truss’ proposals to a more Labour-like policy, Spencer labelled the opposition a “vacuum” and insisted that it is always the Tories that have to fix things “whenever the country’s got into difficult financial challenges”, suggesting that previous Labour government are partly responsible for the current economic struggles of working people.
In contrast, when taken to task over high wages in the energy sector as UK households’ energy bills are set to more than double this winter, while the Commons leader admitted that one chief executive’s £11.5m a year salary is a large figure, he said that the issue was less about how much he earns and more about paying “the very best people at the top to help us solve these challenges”
Commons Leader Mark Spencer defends huge salaries for energy company bosses saying there are 'bigger fish to fry' rather than 'having a pop at the chief exes salary'.@NickFerrariLBC pic.twitter.com/TTaTBH1b69
— LBC (@LBC) August 11, 2022
The representative for Sherwood later went on to appear on Good Morning Britain as well and was grilled by Adil Ray who noted that MPs can go so far as to claim expenses on second homes with no upper limit, yet the current government has no real plans to help the British public in the face of rising costs and energy bills.
He was quick to label the point as a separate issue and an attempt to take viewers down a rabbit hole before Ray ultimately concluded the interview.
Adil Ray – Is it right that MPs can get their energy bills paid via expenses?
Mark Spencer(Leader HoC) – If you have a second home you can claim
Adil Ray – So it's ok for us to pay your expenses, but you don't have a plan to help us pay our bills? #GMB pic.twitter.com/7rD0H43UHk
— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) August 11, 2022
“Sheep or leader” on Spencer’s light box?
A man whose head has been so far up Johnson’s arse for three years?
Yeah, mate, of course you’re a leader……just leading from behind.#BBCBreakfast
— simon alcock (@simongalcock) August 11, 2022
It’s fair to say he’s had better mornings.
Related links
- Rishi Sunak admits he had to be taught how to use contactless card
- Meet the ‘normal’ Tories choosing the next prime minister
- Microphone picks up spat between Tom Newton Dunn and Liz Truss after leadership debate
