Kemi Badenoch has confronted what may very well be described because the stuff of nightmares for a UK politician being interviewed a couple of private finance coverage: being ambushed and contradicted reside on air by Martin Lewis.
As the Conservative chief was being interviewed on ITV about her party’s plans to chop rates of interest for some student loans, Lewis, a campaigner and finance knowledgeable, marched on to the set to announce that he fully disagreed.
Ed Balls, who had been interviewing Badenoch for Good Morning Britain, had challenged her on whether or not the Tory plan would assist solely former college students within the highest-paying jobs. After Badenoch insisted this was not the case, Lewis started shouting from off-set earlier than strolling into shot to facet with Balls, ultimately ending up sitting on the couch.
While Badenoch caught to her view, polling reveals that Lewis, who types himself as a money-saving knowledgeable, is closely trusted by a lot of the general public on private finance issues.
The Conservative plan, set out in a single day, would scrap any above-inflation rate of interest will increase on so-called plan 2 student loans in England, for individuals who began programs from 2012 to 2022.
The change could be financed by chopping tens of 1000’s of college programs that don’t present “value for money” for college students. Interviewed concerning the plan on Sunday, the shadow training secretary, Laura Trott, steered this might embody inventive arts programs.
There is growing political consensus that the present system, wherein rising rates of interest imply most former college students barely make a dent in enormous piles of debt, is unworkable.
Martin Lewis is asking on the Chancellor to alter a key resolution on student loans she made within the final funds, calling it a breach of the contract graduates initially signed.
Martin Lewis questions Kemi Badenoch concerning the Conservatives’ proposals. pic.twitter.com/aj5r6mklF6
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) February 23, 2026
The Labour MP Nadia Whittome stated just lately that she had left college in 2019 with £49,600 of debt and her repayments had taken simply £1,000 off that, regardless of her incomes within the high 5% of salaries as an MP.
Balls challenged Badenoch about whether or not the Tory plan would assist most college students, saying it could solely profit these incomes sufficient cash to start out paying off their debt.
“I don’t think that’s right,” Badenoch stated, to which Balls responded: “It’s definitely right.”
At this level, Lewis started shouting from off-set earlier than strolling on to inform Badenoch that whereas the system wanted change, this was the fallacious plan. “If you want to help the middle-earning students, the most important thing is the repayment threshold should have been increased,” he stated.
“Lowering the interest rate now will only help those who can clear [the debt] within the 30 years, which means lower and middle earning graduates won’t benefit from that change. If you have £1bn to help students, the most direct thing that would help all students would be not freezing the repayment threshold.”
Badenoch insisted that “everybody will benefit”, including: “I’m the first person who’s even trying to solve this problem.”
Lewis replied by saying he had repeatedly identified the issues with the system: “When the Conservative government brought it in in 2012 I said we shouldn’t have above-inflation interest rates.”
