Corbyn cranky after MP’S joke about his age
JEREMY CORBYN has hit out at an “uncouth” Tory MP who heckled him about his age as he called for more money to be spent on elderly care.
MPS claimed on Twitter that an “ageist” and “inappropriate” joke had been directed at the Labour leader while he was giving his response to the Budget.
The joke was made as Mr Corbyn claimed more than a million elderly people “aren’t receiving the care they need”.
The Daily Telegraph understands the jibe made by the MP was that Mr Corbyn should be in care himself.
Pointing his finger, the Opposition leader told the unnamed MP: “Over £6billion would have been cut from social care budgets by next March. I hope the honourable member begins to understand what it’s like to wait for social care stuck in a hospital bed while other people are having to give up their work to care for them.”
He added: “The uncaring, uncouth attitude of certain members opposite needs to be called out.”
Labour MPS could be heard shouting “shame on you” and “get out” at the Government benches.
Laura Pidcock, the Labour MP for North West Durham, tweeted: “Jeremy Corbyn right to be angry at the attitude of members on the Government benches, shouting him down when he’s talking about serious issues like the lack of social care services. This neglect, these holes in our safety net, hurt people in reality. It is not a game.”
Speaking in the Chamber, Mr Corbyn said one in six pensioners were living
‘The uncaring, uncouth attitude of certain members opposite needs to be called out’
in poverty, which he described as “the worst rate anywhere in western Europe”.
Labour MPS were quick to highlight the omission of any new elderly care policies in Philip Hammond’s Budget speech. The Government has said that it is committed to publishing a Green Paper on social care next summer.
Responding to the Budget, Janet Morrison, chief executive of Independent Age, said: “With nearly a quarter of the population set to be over the age of 65 by 2030, making Britain ‘fit for the future’ must surely include setting out plans to meet the needs of our ageing population.
“The fact that the words ‘social care’ didn’t even merit a mention in the Chancellor’s Budget speech is a stark omission. A country fit for the future must be fit for all.”