Car crash Osborne interview leaves him unable to answer NHS funding questions 18 times

Yesterday, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt toured the news studios to explain the Tories’ new pledge to put £8 billion into the NHS. By the end of the day, he had refused to answer how the policy would be funded an impressive 18 times.

This morning, Chancellor George Osborne has bettered his Cabinet colleague by failing to outline where the £8bn would come from 18 times in a single interview.

On the AM Show, Andrew Marr asked Osborne again and again what costings lie behind his NHS announcement – and time after time, Osborne simply would not say. For almost seven skin-crawling minutes, the Tory election strategist point blank refused to answer the questions he was being asked. An exasperated Marr ridiculed the Chancellor’s position, saying:

“I keep asking you very straight questions. You keep saying ‘sensible and balanced, balanced and sensible.’ That is not, with respect, exactly what I’m asking. I’m asking you where the money comes from.”

You can watch the full exchange on the subject here:

Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Chris Leslie mocked the interview as “disastrous”, and described the Conservative NHS plan as “empty promises”:

“This disastrous interview from George Osborne is the latest sign of a floundering and chaotic Tory campaign.

“18 times he was asked where the money will come from for his panicky pre-election promises and 18 times he could not explain. Nobody will believe a word of these empty promises when the Tories can’t say how they will be paid for.”