Eventually he stressed he does want to get the benefits bill down at some nebulous point, presumably having realised what a howler this was…
UPDATE: The Tories are going big on this. A gift has landed in their lap:
“Britain heard it loud and clear today: Andy Burnham will not cut welfare to fund the defence of our country. The Prime Minister is prioritising the ballooning benefits bill over our national security. Shameful.
“This is not leadership it is surrender. Worse still, it’s exactly what has come before. Burnham really is nothing more than Continuity Keir.”
Krishnan Guru-Murthy asked John Healey: “Just finally, I mean Andy Burnham has been very clear he wants Britain back in the European Union in his lifetime. Do you?”
The Chancellor replied: “I’m older than Andy Burnham. I don’t expect to see that.”