It was a Labour MP who provided the stand-out moment from Rishi’s Treasury select committee appearance yesterday. Siobhain McDonagh demanded Rishi name a proper tax cut he’d made:

“…it’s not a tax cut, that’s a benefit change. It’s not a tax cut. It’s a change in the taper rate to Universal Credit…you’re just desperate to find a tax cut. We’re sitting in the Margaret Thatcher room, and you hope to emulate her, but the British Prime Minister and British Tory government that you are most emulating at the moment is Ted Heath’s: low growth, and therefore high tax. Is that not the case.”

Rishi responded by saying the UK is forecast to grow at an historically high level next year, which is true, although it’s then to decline back below 2% from 2023. It shouldn’t take a Labour MP to be pointing this stuff out.

Guido can’t blame MPs for turning to Twitter during dull select committee hearings, though the perils of Zoom saw Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh interrupt this afternoon’s Treasury Committee hearing to proclaim to someone in the room with her, “Oh Margaret, I’ve done a Tweet I’m proud of!”. The Tweet in question?

There’s sheer bloody nerve & there’s @GavinWilliamson! He opens schools Monday, closes them Tuesday & threatens them with @Ofstednews Wednesday. I think @CraigDavid could write the song but if Gavin’s done this in 3 days God knows what he’ll do to pupils,teachers & families in 7!

— Siobhain McDonagh MP (@Siobhain_Mc) January 6, 2021

Guido’s not sure 20 likes is worth getting too hyped up about…