John McDonnell REFUSES to say how debt under Labour would be managed and claims the detail is for ‘iPads and advisers’
The Shadow Chancellor got completely flustered when he was pressed on how much extra Labour's borrowing plans would cost
JOHN McDonnell today repeatedly refused to say how much Labour's plans to borrow billions of pounds would cost Britain.
The Shadow Chancellor got completely flustered when he was pressed on how much extra Labour's ideas would add to our national debt.
In a gaffe-filled interview he claimed that he didn't need to know the detail - because he could rely on an adviser or an iPad to tell him instead.
Mr McDonnell was adament that the cost of borrowing more to invest would "pay for itself" in extra tax revenues and jobs created.
He was asked on Radio 4's Today programme why he had "struggled" on Andrew Marr last Sunday to say how much it would cost for Labour to service the debt.
Mr McDonnell was then accused of a "magic card trick" as he repeatedly explain how he would buy up the railways, utilities and Royal Mail and claimed "you don't need a number".
Mr McDonnell snapped back today: "The type of journalism where you go into an interview and someone asks you a question on a particular figure, to be honest, is a trite form of journalism.
"That's why we have iPads, and that's why I have advisers, etc."
The Shadow Chancellor said previously that he wants to borrow an extra £250billion over a decade to fund national infrastructure.
He also said Labour would hike day-to-day spending by £17billion a year, funded on higher taxes for the rich.
Today he claimed that it was the "wrong question" to ask because Labour's plans to borrow billions more to plough into public services would pay for themselves.
"Let's get back to the reality of this," he went on.
"If the Government stop the tax cuts to corporations and the rich... they will be able to invest in our public services."
But when he was pressed repeatedly on how much the specifics would cost under Labour, he dodged the question and claimed any extra would be "minimal".
"It pays for itself, it pays for itself," he claimed.
"We are now at the stage where interest rates are so low... we should be borrowing to invest.
"That infrastructure puts more people back into work and you are able to cover yourself... it immediately starts hiring people, paying tax... you grow the economy."
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Steve Barclay, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said Labour were refusing to come clean on how much their "borrowing binge" would pay.
He added: "Labour would add hundreds of billions more to the country’s debt, meaning higher taxes on workers and less money for our schools and hospitals.
"Only the Conservatives are building a Britain fit for the future."
In a later interview Philip Hammond poked fun at Mr McDonnell's gaffe when he was unable to answer a question.
The Chancellor quipped: "As John McDonnell would say, I’ll check on my iPad and get someone to get back to you."
