JEZ ON JEZ
Jeremy Hunt and BBC’s Jeremy Vine – who rakes in £450k a year – get into massive on-air scrap over who’s paid more
JEREMY Hunt and BBC host Jeremy Vine got into a massive on-air scrap today over who is paid more.
The Tory PM hopeful got offended with the BBC host when he asked him if it was true that he was the richest man in the Cabinet.
Speaking on Vine's Radio 2 show earlier Mr Hunt hit back: "I think my salary for running a business is far lower than your salary, if I may say."
In the ding-dong that followed, Mr Vine, 53, snapped: "I'm not in the Cabinet!"
He claimed that he didn't mean to offend the Tory leadership wannabe, and he intended to pay him a compliment by saying he was successful.
Mr Hunt has played up his business credentials and boasted about the fact he is a successful entrepreneur throughout the leadership race so far.
He reportedly made £14million when he sold his share in education firm Hotcourses in 2017.
Boris' leadership rival also owns several flats and homes too.
He said: "I don't think we should be going into the politics of envy" and said it could damage Britain's start-ups to label all business-owners as rich.
BBC journalist Mr Vine, who also hosts The Wright Stuff, was the corporation's highest-paid journalist in 2016/17.
He was earning £749,999 per year, but took a pay cut down down to £449,000 alongside several other male stars after the huge gender pay gap at the firm was revealed.
Mr Vine argued today: "I was just pointing out you made money, that's all. I love the way you immediately think it's critical."
Mr Hunt replied sarcastically: "If you really meant it as a compliment, OK, I will take it as a compliment. Thank you, Jeremy!
"For instead of saying I have been successful, and set up a business and created 200 jobs.
"If the way you chose to phrase it was that I am the richest man in the Cabinet, if that was meant as a compliment, which I somehow doubt, thank you very much for that very generous compliment."
The radio host insisted he was "being helpful" and hadn't intended to offend anyone.
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Mr Hunt has been on the campaign trail in Chelsmford today, meeting voters and supporters.
And he was seen sipping on a posh £4.50 milkshake too.
Jeremy Hunt enjoys a strawberry shake and calls it a big improvement on Nigel Farage's milkshake moment
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