BBC Breakfast host clashes with UK minister in live TV grilling - 'you're lacking empathy'

A Treasury minister was confronted over struggling charities facing a double whammy of employers' tax rises - and now swirling uncertainty over Donald Trump's trade tariffs.

In a tense interview on Breakfast, James Murray was told he appeared to be "lacking empathy" after trying to make economic arguments justifying the increases in National Insurance contributions (NICs) for employers. It came after he was pressed about concerns from palliative care charity Marie Curie - as well as thousands of other charities - who face having to cut staff or strip back their services due to the NICs hike, which is due to come into force on April 6.

It also comes as businesses brace for the impact of US President Mr Trump's 10% tariff on all British imports into the US. Mr Murray insisted the UK was still negotiating on securing an economic deal to ease the tariffs blow but admitted he was "disappointed" at the announcement from the US.

During the show, Ruth Driscoll, Associate Director for Policy & Public Affairs at Marie Curie, said her charity has "put a freeze on recruiting additional staff" due to the hike in NICs for employers, "making it difficult to reach the very large number of people who need end of life care". She said that in this financial year alone the change is going to cost their charity £3million.

READ MORE:

Mr Murray admitted it was a "really tough decision" to raise employee NICs and that he understood the concerns raised. He continued: "I think we need to be clear why we took that tough decision and it was to make sure that we put the public finances back on a firm footing, and that we get public services back on their feet. And we can now see that waiting lists in the have been coming down for five months in a row. That's really important to making sure people across the country are well healthy, and also to supporting economic growth."

But BBC host did not accept his answer and said Marie Curie say they "provide a valuable public service", adding: "You are taking specialist nurses away from hospices. What you're actually doing is putting more pressure on the NHS by not providing charities with an exemption [from NICs increases]."

Mr Murray said Marie Curie provided a "really valuable service" and that he was not "downplaying the tough decisions that businesses" are being forced to take. But Ms Warhurst hit back: "People will be watching and saying, in your response, you're lacking empathy. If I was somebody with a parent waiting for palliative care, waiting for cancer support, and a charity could not provide that specialist excellent care because they've had to contribute £3million annually more because of these changes. Are you comfortable with that?"

Mr Murray said: "I very much recognise, as I said a few moments ago, the work that Marie Curie and other organisations do is so important to people across the UK, and I'm not downplaying the fact that a tough decision the government had to take last October in the budget means difficult decisions that organisations and charities across the country now have to take themselves in how they operate.

"I think what's really important to underline, though, is is why we took that decision, because it's a difficult decision, but it's one that was really necessary to get public services back on their feet. And I think people who are waiting for hospital appointments, people waiting to see their GP, people waiting to see any services the NHS provides, need to make sure there is funding there for public services."

READ MORE: