Heather Wheeler, a junior cabinet minister, used the phrase to describe Birmingham and Blackpool during a technology conference in London on Thursday. She has since apologized, saying the comments did not reflect her true views. But the Labor Party has blamed the government, which has made the rise, reducing economic inequality in such coastal and post-industrial areas at the heart of their domestic agenda, for arrogance and contempt. Wheeler was speaking at an event in London for the launch of the government’s new digital strategy, entitled The Roadmap 2022-2025 for a Digital Future. In the preamble to her speech, she told the audience: “I was at a conference in, I do not know, in Blackpool or Birmingham, somewhere optimistic,” before telling a joke about a hiccup he had with a lectern on stage. The same day, the prime minister was in Blackpool giving a speech on tax cut plans and allowing allowances to buy their own social housing. The Conservatives are due to hold their party congress in Birmingham in October and the city is set to host the Commonwealth Games this summer. Chris Middleton, a tech journalist, took Wheeler’s comment before posting a comment on Twitter. The blunder was met with rage by the Labor Party. “Who the hell does Heather Wheeler think she is?” said Liam Byrne, a Labor lawmaker representing part of Birmingham, adding that the Tories had “cut” public spending in the city, creating poverty and unemployment. “For a government minister to simply abuse Britain’s second city weeks before our Commonwealth Games, he tells us everything you need to know about the arrogant, irrelevant, born to prevail in contempt for the heart of our great country ». Lisa Nandy, a shadow secretary, said: “This comment reveals the true colors of the Conservatives. “It’s not surprising that the Tories are so desperately failing to raise the level of our big cities and towns, if they really believe that.” Growing up in south London and now a Member of Parliament for South Derbyshire, Wheeler is currently Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet, a junior role that holds other ministerial posts in the Department of the Treasury and is responsible for the homeless. As homeless minister, he drew criticism because he said he did not know why the number of poor sleepers had increased. In a statement, Wheeler said: “While speaking at a conference on Thursday, I made an inappropriate remark that did not reflect my true views. I apologize for any inconvenience caused. “ A government official said: “I think it was a bit of a cuff, as I’m sure you can appreciate it.” The cabinet declined to comment.
