Jeremy the Joker: Chancellor lightens the mood on Budget day with quips about returning from retirement for his ‘new career in finance’ and support for Rishi’s swimming pool – and even throws in a joke about Matt Hancock’s WhatsApps
- Chancellor tried to lighten the mood – but some criticised quality of his jokes
- READ MORE: Jeremy Hunt tells MPs he wants a million more women in jobs
Jeremy Hunt lightened the mood on Budget day with jokes about returning from retirement for a ‘new career in finance’ – and even snuck in a mention of Matt Hancock’s WhatsApps.
The Chancellor also prompted laughs from Labour MPs by mentioning a new £63million fund to help public swimming baths cope with high energy bills – after his boss Rishi Sunak paid to upgrade the power grid in his Yorkshire village for his own personal pool.
Talking about his new scheme to help over-50s back into work, Mr Hunt said he was ‘relegated to the backbenches’ after he reached his sixth decade.
But deciding against leading a ‘quiet life,’ he said he embarked on a ‘new career in finance’ – prompting laughter from the benches.
‘How’s it going?’, one MP asked, to which the chancellor heartily replied, ‘It’s going well.’
Jeremy Hunt did his best to lighten the mood by peppering his Budget speech with jokes – yet many viewers were left unimpressed
Continuing on the subject of the over-50s, Mr Hunt said: ‘A younger official has termed these people ”older workers” although as a 56-year-old myself I prefer the term ”experienced”.’
Then, in an awkward moment, Mr Hunt turned to Deputy Speaker Eleanor Laing and said: ‘I say this not to flatter you but older people are the most skilled and experienced people.’
Commentators pointed out that Ms Laing is 65, and questioned whether Mr Hunt should be making jokes about her age.
Fortunately, she took the comment in her stride and later quipped about being ‘not able to hear… because I’m old’.
The Chancellor prompted more laughter when he made a jab at Matt Hancock, the former Health Secretary.
Mr Hancock – pictured on I’m A Celebrity – was the butt of a joke about his leaked WhatsApps
Addressing MPs, he said: ‘I don’t want any doctor to retire early because of the way pension taxes work.
‘It’s an issue I’ve discussed not just with the current health secretary but the former health secretary who kindly took a break from WhatsApping his colleagues to consider it.’
Mr Hancock’s WhatsApps have been widely reported in the media over recent weeks after being leaked by Isabel Oakeshott, who he was working with on a book.
Unfortunately for anyone looking for light relief the rest of the Budget was largely comedy free, with one commentator begging for the return of former Chancellor Philip Hammond ‘with his dad jokes’.
Others suggested Mr Hunt was being deliberately boring to contrast the the previous Tory governments.
Backbenchers laugh as Mr Hunt tells a joke during today’s Budget speech
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