BBC presenter Fiona Bruce shut down Labour MP and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds during the latest episode of Question Time, which aired from Cambridge.
Reynolds appeared alongside Tory MP Helen Whateley, political commentator Ash Sarker, Lib Dem MP Josh Babarinde and broadcaster Andrew Neil.
Benefits debate sparks clash
The programme opened with a debate on whether the state should control how people spend their benefits. An audience member asked Reynolds: "How can we get people wanting to pay into the system? How can we encourage people to want to pay into the system?"
Reynolds responded by referencing past Conservative policies, saying: "I mean, you can tell how old you are by how many times you've heard Tory MPs announce this policy before. Iain Duncan Smith announced this, Helen, I'm pretty certain William Hague might have mentioned it."
Reynolds blames Conservatives
He added: "The reason you never do it is that, frankly, there's no evidence to suggest unemployed people spend all their money on fangs and booze, so it just isn't there."
Reynolds continued: "It will never happen and it's just a way of you saying you don't like poor people and frankly you'll succeed in that Helen. You say the system's out of control, here are some real costs in the system, you don't say who designed it, and it was yourselves."
A taken-aback Fiona Bruce quickly interjected, bluntly asking: "Hang on, you're in charge now. So what are you going to do?"
