A government minister angrily clashed with Times Radio’s Stig Abell after he asked her about the row over a Labour donor buying clothes for Keir Starmer and his wife.
Angela Eagle accused the presenter of going on a “rant” when he described the prime minister as “someone who has a luxury glasses habit who’s taking money from pensioners”.
Downing Street is struggling to shut down the row over Labour peer Lord Alli paying for £20,000-worth of suits and glasses for the PM, as well as £5,000-worth of clothes for his wife, Victoria.
It comes against the backdrop of the government removing the winter fuel payment, which is worth up to £300, from 10 million pensioners.
Asked why he didn’t just buy his own clothes, Starmer yesterday dodged the question and insisted the donations had been properly declared to the parliamentary authorities.
On his breakfast show this morning, Abell asked Eagle: “Why shouldn’t the prime minister, he earns £166,000 a year, why shouldn’t he buy his own glasses?”
The clearly-irritated minister for border security and asylum replied: “Well, why don’t you ask him?”
Abell told her: “Well, he’s not here. You’re here for the government. I mean, if he comes on here, we might try...”
Eagle said she was “not responsible for decisions the prime minister makes” but Abell responded: “You’re not, but you have an opinion.
“Should he not buy his own glasses? You’re wearing a pair of glasses now. You presumably paid for them yourself. I’m wearing a pair of glasses now. I pay for them myself. Why shouldn’t the prime minister?”
The minister said: “Well, the prime minister has had his say on that. And if you next time you interview him, you could ask him yourself. I don’t have an opinion.”
The presenter responded: “Well, I’ll tell you why you might have an opinion. Angela Rayner had an opinion when Boris Johnson was getting money from donors.
“She tweeted, ‘what right does a man who complains he can’t live on 150 grand a year and ask Tory donors to fund his luxury wallpaper habit? What right does he have to lecture someone trying to survive on 80 pounds a week’?
“That’s what Labour attacked Boris Johnson for doing. And now you’ve got someone who has a luxury glasses habit who’s taking money from pensioners. People are going to have an opinion on that, aren’t they?”
The minister then told him: “Okay you’ve had your rant.”
Abell hit back: “Is that a rant? I’m asking a question. Are you saying ... no one’s going to say to you in your constituency ’why on earth is he and his wife getting free clothing and glasses, do you think?”
Eagle told him: “Well when I get back from Berlin and I go to my constituency at the weekend I’ll let you know.”