A Tory minister has raised eyebrows after remaining silent for eight seconds during a TV interview when asked about the Tory government's record on poverty.
The new Levelling Up Secretary Simon Clarke appeared on BBC Breakfast this morning where he was grilled by presenter Charlie Stayt on a number of issues including Liz Truss' energy statement later today.
Stayt also asked Clarke about the Tory government's record on poverty during its 12 years in power.
Throughout the interview Clarke, who was appearing from a remote studio in Westminster, could clearly hear every question asked until he was probed about poverty.
Stayt said: "Let's talk about something hopefully we can talk about more clearly - levelling up. Now, if you look at a couple of the markers for levelling up, which frankly a lot of people don't really understand the principle of.
"You look at child poverty or in work poverty, which of those markers have the Tories in 12 years been successful in helping?"
Clarke, who nods throughout the question and is clearly able to hear the question, then remains silent for eight seconds before Stayt jumps in.
He said: "Okay, I'm sorry, maybe you didn't hear that question. I'll repeat it again."
After repeating the question, Clarke said: "We've had to deal with an extraordinary series of challenges over the course of the 12 years that the Conservative Party has been in office. Often clearly are faced with a very difficult parliamentary arithmetic as well.
"We are absolutely clear that levelling up sits at the heart of our work in office and I represent a constituency on Teesside, which does have pockets of very deep deprivation.
"Communities like mine have put their faith in this government precisely because they recognise that opportunity and enterprise needs to sit at the heart of our plans."
A clip of the exchange was posted on social media with many saying it spoke volumes of the Conservative government's record on reducing poverty across the UK.
During the media round Clarke also rejected calls for a windfall tax on the oil and gas companies to help fund the Government's emergency energy support package.
He told LBC: "These firms are the people we are going to be absolutely relying on to deliver that next generation of oil and gas extraction on the route to energy self-sufficiency.
"We need to go much, much further in getting new fields on line. That is why we need these companies to be ploughing that investment into the North Sea. We cannot do what Labour would do, which is just tax, tax, tax."
