'Richest Man in the Cabinet' Jeremy Hunt Loses His Rag With BBC Host Over Personal Wealth Comments

Multimillionaire Conservative leadership candidate Jeremy Hunt had somewhat of a meltdown during a BBC radio interview with Jeremy Vine, after the host described him as the "richest man in Cabinet".

"My salary while I was was running my business was a lot lower than your salary now. I am not in Cabinet…That fact may or may not be true, I’ve no idea . This is the politics of envy. A lot of people would say if we start labelling people like that…in a way which says that kind of thing…is not a compliment, we are not going to be a successful country,” Hunt raged.

In response, a slightly bewildered Vine suggested his comments had been a “compliment”, and a testament to the success of his time in business - "I was just pointing out you were a business person who made some money that is all," he said.

​Hunt was having none of the host’s pardon however, refusing to believe Vine’s intent was flattery. It would be at least a minute of extremely awkward airtime before Hunt relented, and said that if Vine had "really meant it as a compliment", he’d take it - although his acceptance was not without bitter caveats.

"Thank you Jeremy for instead of saying I was successful and set up a business and created 200 jobs that you said I was the richest man in Cabinet. And if that was meant as a compliment - which I somehow doubt - then thank you for that very generous compliment," he sneered.

Vine’s only response was "wow" - his shock was perhaps understandable, given the comment followed a jokey aside about how hours earlier, Hunt had enjoyed a £9 milkshake in front of media photographers, calling the confection a "mean milkshake" and a "big improvement on Nigel Farage's milkshake moment."