'You're Gaslighting Voters': Victoria Derbyshire Roasts Top Tory Over His Party's Record In Office

<div><img src="https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/68e4ad34180000c2eb5d1372.jpeg?ops=scalefit_630_noupscale" alt="Victoria Derbyshire and Gareth Davies" data-caption="Victoria Derbyshire and Gareth Davies" data-credit-link-back="" data-credit="BBC" />Victoria Derbyshire and Gareth Davies</div><div class="content-list-component text"><p><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/victoria-derbyshire/">Victoria Derbyshire </a>accused a Tory frontbencher of “gaslighting the voters” after the party vowed to solve all the problems that got worse when they were in power.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/newsnight/">BBC Newsnight </a>presenter came armed with receipts as she grilled shadow chief secretary <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/gareth-davies/">Gareth Davies</a>.</p><p>At the <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/conservative-party/">Conservative </a>conference in Manchester, the party has pledged to cut the size of the civil service, cut billions from the benefits bill and end the use of taxpayer-funded hotels by asylum seekers.</p><p>Derbyshire told Davies: “The civil service headcount increased by 22% on your watch, working age disability benefits increased by 50%, disability benefits for anxiety and depression doubled on your watch.</p><p>“The number of working age adults on workless benefits jumped by a million on your watch, the number of asylum seekers in government-funded accommodation doubled on your watch.</p><p>“It sounds like you’re gaslighting the voters.”</p><p>Davies replied: “I’m sorry you think that. I think context is important. What we had to deal with in government wasn’t an easy ride at times, we did have a once in a century pandemic, which pushed