Which Tory minister is having the worst week in politics? It’s a title that Rishi Sunak seemed to have sewn up after his D-Day disaster on Thursday. But it appears his Tory chairman is now giving him a late run for his money. Richard Holden was sent out to defend the government today, following Sunak’s absence from the airwaves since Friday. But he faced his own interview embarrassment after Jon Craig of Sky decided to ask Holden as to why he switched seats this week at the very last-minute.
‘So you can’t justify the way you have been parachuted into Basildon and Billericay?’ Craig jibed. ‘You’re not deciding it’s a stitch-up and it’s anti-democratic?’ After a brief pause Holden then began to trot out his pre-prepared lines to take. ‘Emily Thornberry today has admitted…’ ‘I’m going to stop you now’ interjected Craig. ‘This is ridiculous. This is ridiculous! You said in an interview earlier this year you were bloody loyal to the North East. What happened to that?’
An unseen aide from CCHQ can be heard murmuring in the background at this point that ‘this wasn’t agreed’ but Holden manfully carried on, insisting that ‘I’ve already answered these questions.’ Craig took offence to Holden’s claims to have done a Channel 4 interview, insisting ‘That’s one broadcaster isn’t it? This is a pool interview for all the other broadcasters.’ The unseen aide can then be heard asserting more loudly that ‘These broadcasters agreed that the questions would be specifically…’
‘No, nobody agreed!’ declared Craig. ‘I’ve got a list here of questions from other broadcasters. Nobody’s agreed, absolutely not.’ The aide continued ‘If that’s the way this is going to go then we will just leave because that’s not what we agreed to come here today to discuss.’ Holden meanwhile stood there, looking like he wished for the earth to swallow him up whole.
‘Not his finest hour’ concluded Jon Craig tartly…
Comments