An attempt by Government minister Nadhim Zahawi to blame Vladimir Putin for failing to apologise over the mini-budget chaos led to howls of laughter from the BBC Question Time audience.
A swift U-turn was needed on measures by Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng - which led to market turmoil with the price of the pound dropping to record levels against the dollar.
With the country already facing worrying levels of inflation and sky high energy bills, this was another blow as some mortgage rates breached 6%.
Question Time panellist Piers Morgan took exception to the way nobody from the Government had apologised for what he called a “monumental cock-up”.
He told Mr Zahawi: “For you to sit there and try and defend this, what I haven’t heard from anybody at senior level in this party in the last 10 days is one word ‘sorry’, sorry to the country for what you have put the country through. You want to say it?"
Mr Zahawi began replying and Piers said: “One word.”
And the minister replied: “I’m going to tell you, Liz (Truss) said I’ve listened and I get it which is why 95% of her economic policy, of her growth plan, she wants to protect and will deliver, right, the stuff that we have just talked about.
“But are you sorry about the damage that has been done?” Morgan jumped in.
Mr Zahawi continued: “I’m going to tell you why if you give me a chance. Ask yourself this question, what would Vladimir Putin want us to do? He would want us to be divided right now because he is using energy…”
At this point there were chuckles in the audience and Question Time chair Fiona Bruce said to him: “People are laughing, I just want to point that out.”
And Piers responded: “Oh please. I can’t say sorry because Vladimir Putin may not like it.”
But Mr Zahawi replied: “Do you not believe that Vladimir Putin is using energy, which is where the inflation is coming from, where countries around the world are having to raise interest rates?”
Morgan said: “With respect, what does this have to do with a simple apology to the British people for the train wreck which has happened over the past 10 days?”
The discussion continued with Mr Zahawi saying: “I have said to you that Liz in her conference speech said I get it and I changed the policy.”
And finally the minister said he was sorry when Piers asked again.
“Of course I’m sorry, absolutely by the way there is nothing wrong with saying I get it and I’ve listened and I’ve acted, and 95% of what I want to do, I will deliver - and I’ll drop the 5%, that’s a good thing,” said Mr Zahawi.
Piers then added: “In the last ten days so far for the monumental cock-up you did with this mini-budget, so far I’ve heard people blame the Queen and the funeral for what happened, you’re now blaming Vladimir Putin and I’m saying actually it’s simpler than that, your mini-budget caused the chaos.”
