Boris Johnson brags about free bus passes when OAP is told he drives them all day to keep warm

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was pressured by ITV’s Susannah Reid over the cost of living crisis as she took questions on behalf of viewer Elsie

Boris Johnson boasted he “introduced the Freedom Bus Pass” when confronted with the story of a poverty-stricken pensioner who drives buses to keep warm.

The Prime Minister gave a car crash interview to ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Monday and has been pressed repeatedly over Britain’s cost of living crisis.

He admitted Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s £9billion would not help all Brits struggling with their bills as inflation and rising food and energy prices hit households.

Presenter Susannah Reid urged him on the shameful case of a 77-year-old viewer named Elsie whose energy bill has gone from 17 to 85 pounds a month, who has reduced to one meal a day and who takes buses all day to stay out of the house and reduce their bills.

Asked what Elsie should reduce, Ms Reid warned the pensioner would “lose weight”, before the Prime Minister replied: “The 24-hour Freedom Bus Pass was actually something that I actually put in place.”

He added, “I don’t want Elsie to cut anything.”

Experts say the latest Tory mini-budget would herald the biggest drop in living standards since the days of rationing.

Mr Johnson insisted the Government is “doing everything we can” to help with the cost of living crisis.

He claimed there were “still a lot of things we’re doing” before adding: “We want to make sure we have people who are in special needs who are being looked after by their councils, so we’re putting a lot more money into local councils.” .

“We have the special payments to help older people in particular with their heating costs.”

However, he warned that increasing government support above current levels could push inflation even higher.

There is a “global context” being caused by an increase in energy prices that is affecting all aspects of the economy, including food, he said, adding, “The cost of chickens is insane.”

On the subject of energy, Mr Johnson said: “This country is in an insane position of having to absorb and feed electricity from France and elsewhere because we have not done enough to invest in our own energy and electricity security.”