Michael Gove point blank refuses to rule out cutting child benefit in excruciating Newsnight interview

First George Osborne, now Michael Gove.

Michael Gove has been wheeled out over the past couple of days as the go-to Tory minister for the press. Since appearing outside Labour’s manifesto launch on Monday, Gove has been on the news for BBC, Channel 4, ITV and Sky.

Last night, he was on Newsnight to give the line on the Conservative manifesto launched earlier in the day.

Perhaps he was suffering from television camera fatigue. Anchor Emily Maitlis quizzed the chief whip on the £12bn of welfare cuts the Tories have promised with explaining where the cuts will come from. Gove got in a bit of a tangle, before having to admit that the Tories could not rule out cutting child benefit in a truly excruciating piece of telly:

Emily Maitlis: And child benefit, just while you’re on this one, there will be no more changes to child benefit. Can you say that?

Michael Gove: No I can’t say that. [Silence.]

Maitlis: So that could be a place that’s going to get cut?

Gove: Er, er, well, er, the f… it’s not our policy at the moment.

Watch the two minute exchange below: