Laura Kuenssberg slams stuttering Labour minister after calling our major error

Laura Kuenssberg's weekend BBC show took an awkward turn after she confronted Labour's Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander live on air. One of the main topics the politician wanted to discuss on the BBC Sunday show (July 13) was the need for more Brits to buy electric cars in an effort to curb the need for fossil fuels.

But one of the main issues drivers are facing at the moment is the lack of electric charging spots across the UK, especially for those who live in a flat or don't have a driveway. The politician reassured viewers that the government are now pledging £63million to invest into charging infrastructure so that people can charge their cars more easily. But it was at this point that the MP revealed that despite being the transport secretary, she herself didn't own an electric car.

She explained: "So today we're announcing a really big investment £63million in charging infrastructor across the country, £25million for councils so that people like me who don't have a driveway, I live in a terraced house. If I had an EV (electric vehicle), I'd be asking myself questions about how I would be getting the electric cable across to the car."

Laura swiftly interrupted her to clarify: "So you don't have one? The Transport Secretary doesn't have an electric car but you're telling everyone else to have one."

Heidi admitted: "I don't have an electric car Laura, but like a lot of, well, millions of people in this country who, well, I'd bought a new car about six years ago and I'm thinking about the next car I will purchase and it will definitely be an electric vehicle.

"But I'm not in a habit of changing my car on a yearly basis because it's expensive as it is and so that's why we're making £25million available to councils so that they can provide financial support to households who want to put in a cross-pavement gulley so that you can safely run the cable across the pavement."

Laura pushed: "So there will be grants for people to buy a new car? Can you confirm that you are going to give grants to people, maybe thousands of pounds, to help them buy an electric car?"

Alexander insisted: "I can guarantee to your viewers that we will be making it cheaper for those who do want to make the switch to an electric vehicle to do so, and we will be making sure that the charging infrastructor is there for them so that they can make the journeys they want to make."

The host couldn't help but take one more jab at the politician before moving on to the next segment, teasing: "Okay, thank you for that Alexander and you've said you will be one of them. Do you think a cabinet minister will qualify for the grant? I don't know?"

The MP simply replied: "I don't think that would be appropriate, Laura." It didn't take long before fans flooded to X - formerly known as Twitter - to share their surprise online. One user penned: "This idiot telling us to buy electric cars but doesn't have one herself. Bloody hypocrite #BBCLauraK."

Another agreed: "Transport secretary hasn't got an electric vehicle [three cry-laughing emojis] but yes everyone else needs to get one! #BBCLauraK."

A third echoed: "[Ed] Miliband and now Heidi Alexander telling everyone to buy an electric car when they don't have one themself is typical of anyone in government #bbclaurak."