‘The nasty party is back’: James Brokenshire slammed over welfare and election launch

The ex-secretary of state for housing and communities was slammed over a shambolic day for the tories by Emily Maitlis on BBCs Newsnight. Photo: BBC - Credit: Archant

The ex-secretary of state for housing and communities was slammed over a ‘shambolic day for the Tories’.

James Brokenshire was challenged by Emily Maitlis on BBC’s Newsnight over Alan Cairns resigning on the day of the election launch over what he knew about a rape case, alongside Grenfell tower comments made by Tory MPs, and misleading the public on welfare.

“Your old boss Theresa May warned years ago about the nasty party, they’re back aren’t they?” asked Maitlis.

She continued: “We are seeing a pattern emerging and its one of audacity. You publicly funded adverts extolling the virtues of universal credit that were found by the advertising watchdog to have misled the public.

“Your government was misleading some of the poorest, most vulnerable members of the public.”

Brokenshire said universal credit was about “getting help to people who need it” and said his party was ‘disappointed’ about the ruling.

“Disappointed, disappointed? You misled the public. You lied on public money to some of the poorest people in Britain,” Maitlis said.

Elsewhere in the interview Brokenshire attempted to bring up Brexit, before Maitlis brought the conversation back to misleading the public on these adverts and in the doctored Keir Starmer interview.

Brokenshire was criticised by viewers online who said he was not listening to or answering the questions but simply “spewing the Tory line”.