You will probably already be familiar with the work of Helen Whateley, the Conservative MP who is no stranger to tying herself in knots.
We mention her today after she appeared on the BBC’s Politics Live, in her current role as shadow work and pensions secretary, where she made some particularly bold claims about the state the Tories left the nation in after 14 years of rule.
And fortunately for us cabinet minister Peter Kyle was on hand to correct her, and he did so in magnificent fashion.
Peter Kyle hands the shadow minister for car crash interviews Helen Whately d her arse on a plate on #politicslive#PMQs pic.twitter.com/d7ZKVguau6
— Mike H (@mikoh123) November 27, 2024
So epic they enjoyed watching that from the ISS.
And this freeze frame, highlighted by the estimable @implausibleblog, was especially brilliant.
Left: Helen Whately, “We handed over to Labour much lower debt than we had inherited”
Right: Peter Kyle, “There are facts in public debate.. Debt was £800 billion in 2010, it was £2.6 trillion in 2024” pic.twitter.com/VcARb9gOW8
— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) November 27, 2024
Boom.
That freeze frame is amazing
— John Seagull (@JohnSti73895599) November 27, 2024
Just for you @JohnSti73895599
A higher resolution image from this videohttps://t.co/YbQuVXtvgL pic.twitter.com/wtCEicy1Am
— Farrukh (@implausibleblog) November 27, 2024
And just a few of the things people said about it.
1.
I don’t know why she wants to be an MP. It’s consistently a humiliating process for her.
— Withnail Jones (@withnailjones) November 27, 2024
2.
Lights on – nobody’s home pic.twitter.com/OpKyZTETSe
— Betty (@BettyBeingBetty) November 27, 2024
3.
You just know that somewhere there is a Malcolm Tucker that makes her cry every time she does one of these interviews. It’s beyond cringe now.
— Baldrick’s Prized Turnip (@JohnMcHugh1878) November 27, 2024
4.
The moment Whatley realises £2.6 trillion is £1.8 trillion more than £8 billion pic.twitter.com/2Z7En7MVvn
— whileincare.info (@whileincare) November 27, 2024
5.
Not the first time she’s got her figures completely wrong.
— Beverley Parker (@bevelynnparker) November 27, 2024
6.
She also lied about the UK being the fastest growing G7 economy under the Tories when it clearly wasn’t.
She’s painfully out of her depth and Peter Kyle looked on disdainfully.
— SJ Esq (@Sonnyjim03) November 27, 2024
7.
Please @BBCPolitics have Helen Whately on every week
The truth in figures really don’t matter Helen spouts Ridiculous non factual information#sameoldtories— Greg Eden (@EdenGreg) November 27, 2024
To conclude …
Out of her depth on a damp flannel. pic.twitter.com/LbjTDfrgSI
— Simon Gosden. Esq. #fbpe 3.5% ☠️ (@g_gosden) November 28, 2024
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Source @mikoh123 @implausibleblog
