Jacob Rees-Mogg called 'patronising' during car crash LBC interview

Jacob Rees-Mogg appeared on LBC this morning and it was pretty dire.

Speaking on the Call the Cabinet show, the minister for Brexit opportunities took questions from the public on a range of issues from Partygate to Brexit and got a pretty thorough dressing down while doing so.

Firstly, he refused to apologise for calling the Partygate scandal "fluff" and said the context of the war in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis meant it "was not the most important issue in the world".

A caller named Chris accused him of "ridiculous sycophancy" when Rees-Mogg defended Boris Johnson and claimed he didn't mislead parliament. He said: "You insult the intelligence of the British people with your remarks, Jacob."

Then he was schooled on Brexit by a caller named Brenda who said the minister "lied to us" about the policy making goods cheaper.

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"You are so patronising," Brenda said, after Rees-Mogg blamed global inflation for price hikes. She added: “I find it absolutely outrageous that people are going to suffer from hypothermia ... they can’t eat and can’t heat their homes. How is that helping the ordinary, struggling person?”

Presenter Nick Ferrari then quizzed him on rising taxes and bills. "People are choosing their food at food banks that doesn't need heating because they cannot afford the gas to warm the food," he said.

Next, a caller rang to ask about trans issues. Asked if a woman can have a penis, he said “no” and referenced Genesis 1: 27. He said: “God made man in his own image. He made man and he made woman. He made both of them. I think God making us in his own image is quite good enough for me.”

Caller Jane said she agreed with him but her praise was faint: "Quite frankly I am really mortified because Jacob Rees-Mogg represents everything that I loathe," she said.

However, perhaps she doesn't have as much in common with the minister as she thought, because he added: “The issue is a complex one. There are issues of tolerance, and there are issues of kindliness, and I think it’s very important to allow people to make whatever choices in their life.”

Finally, a caller named Elsa told the minister the government's Homes for Ukraine scheme was "excruciating" in the way it was operating and asked Rees-Mogg if the government was "inefficient" or "xenophobic".

Ferrari also questioned why the UK demands visas while other countries don't, causing Rees-Mogg to talk about "safety".

"[The system] is becoming more efficient," the minister added.

Oof.

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