Politics
Kate Plummer
Oct 09, 2022
Indy
There was a pretty cringey moment on the news today, so what's new?
This time, we saw a Tory attempt to make a lighthearted comment and end up looking rather sheepish instead.
In an appearance on BBC Politics North West, former MP Graham Evans was speaking about the energy crisis and was asked about fuel efficiency and other measures to cut the costs of soaring bills.
He said: "Personally, I'm a hot-blooded male. Females in my house like to have the heating on. Try and keep the heating down as much as humanly possible."
Presenter Annabel Tiffin intervened, saying: "There will be a lot of vulnerable people - perhaps not as hot-blooded who will need heating on and it's very very costly."
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"Absolutely and in all seriousness... that's why the government has supported heating bills as far as they can but I'm not trying to disguise it is going to be a very very tricker winter and that's why the government needs to go for growth so we do grow the pie so we can have some bigger slices for the most vulnerable," Evans, who may end up in the House of Lords, replied, as Labour councillor Oliver Ryan appeared to face palm.
Ryan then said: "People are currently choosing between heating and eating in a lot of circumstances."
He added that the government "had burdened" future generations with debt.
"To trivialise it in the way that you have," he added, addressing Evans "is not quite grasping the seriousness of where people find themselves this winter."
Evans replied: "It was a flippant comment but the fact that is that we have to grow the economy," before Tiffin cut him off to end the show,
People thought Evan's comments were rather silly:
\u201cIncredible, my constituents in Weaver Vale are anxious with many struggling to pay energy bills. To hear the former Tory MP for Weaver Vale peddle this nonsense is an insult to women and families trying to make ends meet.\u201d— Mike Amesbury MP (@Mike Amesbury MP) 1665315683
\u201cJaw dropping misogynistic comments from Graham Evans (used to be a Tory MP for Weaver Vale). \n\nThen you realise the Tories are about to put him in the House of Lords where he will get to legislate for life \ud83e\udd26\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\u201d— Cat Smith MP (@Cat Smith MP) 1665316988
\u201c@GrahamEvans once a #tory idiot always a Tory idiot! Out of touch and clueless #energybills\u201d— Stephen (@Stephen) 1665314485
\u201cUnbelievable. Just unbelievable.\u201d— Matthew James 3.5% \ud83d\udfe8\ud83d\udfe5 \ud83d\udc99 (@Matthew James 3.5% \ud83d\udfe8\ud83d\udfe5 \ud83d\udc99) 1665316024
This week there were warnings of potential blackouts in the winter to save energy as the crisis escalates.
Not a good time to be joking about being "hot-blooded" then.
indy100 has contacted Evans to comment on this story.
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