Philip Hammond is taking some heat after he claimed “there are no unemployed people” in the UK.
The Chancellor later clarified remarks made during a discussion on the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show, saying on ITV’s Peston On Sunday he “didn’t mean” there’s no unemployment and “there’s 1.4 million unemployed people in this country and that’s 1.4 million too many”.
“There are no unemployed people” claims @PhilipHammondUK. #marr pic.twitter.com/YrtvcRtCNG
— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) November 19, 2017
Hammond made the comment during a discussion on how Britain can deal with the threat to jobs from technological change.
“I remember 20 years ago we were worrying about what was going to happen to the million shorthand typists in Britain as the personal computer took over,” he said. “Well, nobody has a shorthand typist these days, but where are all these unemployed people? There are no unemployed people.”
Despite efforts to clarify his comments, Hammond’s name was quickly trending on Twitter, and the gaffe drew ridicule…
Chancellor Hammond: “there are no unemployed people.” Errr …. excluding the 1.4m without jobs in latest labour force survey …
— Andrew Neil (@afneil) November 19, 2017
Did the Chancellor really just say there are no unemployed people? #Marr pic.twitter.com/YMQrmYvK2F
— Joe Jenkins (@MrJoeJenkins) November 19, 2017
… and sharp criticism.
The Chancellor thinks there are no unemployed people in this country. Completely out of touch.
— John McDonnell MP (@johnmcdonnellMP) November 19, 2017
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable also described Hammond as out of touch.
“As Chancellor, Philip Hammond needs to be on top of the numbers and, as he should know very well, there are actually 1.425 million people unemployed,” he said. “Worse, a large number of them are second or third generation out of work, suggesting that all that a large number of people are inheriting in Britain today is poverty.
“It underlines just how out of touch the Conservatives are with millions of Britons who are living on the breadline.”
Some on Twitter suggested the gaffe may be a threat to Hammond’s own employment.
Days before a budget that effects 60,000,000 people, chancellor Philip Hammond said: “Where are these unemployed people? There are no unemployed people.”
There ARE and YOU should join them @PhilipHammondUK
— Will Black (@WillBlackWriter) November 19, 2017
Philip “no unemployed people” Hammond will discover the hard way there are jobless in Britain if May sacks him after the Budget
— Kevin Maguire (@Kevin_Maguire) November 19, 2017
However, some thought, and hoped, Hammond was only talking about shorthand typists, as had been the topic of his discussion.
When I first heard Hammond, I thought he was saying there aren’t any unemployed short-hand typists. And that had better be what he was saying.
— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) November 19, 2017
Whether a misunderstanding or a good old-fashioned gaffe, the comment might be following Hammond around this week.
