The Loose Women panellist Janet Street-Porter told the PM that retirees had come out worse under the Tories after economists warned older people were the biggest losers at the Spring Budget

Rishi Sunak has been asked why he “hates pensioners” as he was grilled on ITV’s Loose Women by Janet Street-Porter.

The Loose Women panellist told the PM that retirees had come out worse under the Tories after economists warned older people were the biggest losers at the Spring Budget.

Ms Street-Porter told the PM that he is a “decent man” with his “heart in the right place”. But to an applause from the audience, she then asked Mr Sunak: “Why do you hate pensioners?” She added: “That is the only conclusion that I can come to as a result of the Spring Budget. So you lowered national insurance by 4p – big deal, pensioners don’t pay NI.”

Ms Street-Porter went on: “So many pensioners are living in poverty – I think about two million. I think most poverty stricken pensioners are living in private accommodation – one in three. There’s an argument that pensioners have come out worse under the Tories or worse under you, your supervision.

The PM was told pensioners have come out worse under the Tories (
Image:
ITV)

“I would say as a pensioner that what I see is a lot of pensioners take extra jobs to make ends meet, to buy little treats, to go out once a month… but if they earn any money – more than £1,000 a year – they are going to be paying tax. Does that seem right?”

In response, the PM insisted he cared “deeply” about pensioners and highlighted the Tories’ commitment to keep the triple lock on state pensions. He added: “Lots of people criticise us for that [triple lock]. But we’ve protected it and that means the state pension right now has just gone up by £900.”

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In March the Resolution Foundation said that all eight million pensioners would see their taxes increase by an average of £1,000 by 2027/28 due to frozen income tax thresholds.

Janet Street-Porter asked the PM why he ‘hates pensioners’ (
Image:
ITV)
Mr Sunak was also asked by panellist Jane Moore whether he would resign as an MP if The Tories lose the general election later this year. But he insisted he would stay on, saying: “Of course I’m staying. I love being an MP. I love my constituents, I love my home in North Yorkshire.” He hinted the election would be in the autumn, telling the panel it could be “good for your holiday”.

Alison McGovern, Labour’s Acting Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, said: “The Tories have failed pensioners.
“They crashed the economy, broke the Triple Lock during a cost-of-living crisis and put pensioners’ living standards on the line with an unfunded £46 billion black hole.”