'Is my salary modest?' Labour MP squirms in fiery Sky News clash over tax rises

Sky News presenter Matt Barbet scoffed at Labour MP Lilian Greenwood, who represents Nottingham South, when she refused to say if tax rises are coming. Barbet began: "Your boss talked about people on modest incomes not being hit by any tax rises come the autumn; by modest, does she mean the average or less than the average? What exactly is that?"

The flustered MP said it's "commonsense language," and when probed again to explain herself further, she said, "It's people who work for a living and get a payslip." Barbet clapped back: "I work for a living and get a payslip - is my salary modest?" When Greenwood said she didn't know his salary, he jibed: "Probably not, actually. So what does modest mean by salary tax?"

She then said it means people who earn an average income, with Barbet replying: "So average, so £39,000, something like that?"

However, the MP admitted she could not tell him "exactly what the transport secretary had in mind when she said that".

The debate escalated further, with Barbet pushing the definition of a modest income. When she said she thought "those with the broadest shoulders should bear the burden," the reporter started laughing out of frustration.

Circling back, he said: "Modest income is vague, broadest shoulders are vague. Why don't you put some definition on these terms instead of using these broad, sweeping words where no one knows what they represent?"

In response, she said, "People can see exactly what this Labour government is about. We said we would not raise income tax; we haven't.

"We said we wouldn't put up employees' national insurance, and we haven't. Those are about protecting working people in this country - those who go out to work and get a payslip and don't want to pay more tax."