Philip Hammond: New Chancellor responds to Richard Madeley's claims he was a 'goth' in school as shocking
'I could tell you lots of things about Richard Madeley'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Philip Hammond has dismissed claims that he was a Guardian wielding goth during his school days as “shocking”.
LBC presenter Nick Ferrari asked if the new Chancellor and hardline Conservative had seen coverage of his background in The Times, which he said was celebrated for being so “different” to that of George Osborne. Mr Hammond attended a comprehensive and is a self-made millionaire worth an estimated £8 million.
He then enquired if Mr Hammond had seen claims by his former school mate, Richard Madeley, from back in 2013, where he claimed the Chancellor was once a “goth” who used to “arrive in class in a leather trench coat with The Guardian under his arm.”
The TV presenter and Mr Hammond both attended Shenfield High School in Brentwood, Essex, during the 1970s.
“I could tell you lots of things about Richard Madeley,” Mr Hammond replied.
“Very importantly, after that comment was made, Richard Madeley contacted me to make a very important correction.
“He said that on reflection, it probably was the Financial Times, not The Guardian.”
In a separate conversation with ITV’s This Morning Britain, he described the claims as particularly “shocking” because “goths hadn’t even been invented in those days”.
Mr Hammond was the first political appointment to be announced by Theresa May as she unveils her new cabinet. The new Prime Minister caused great surprise when she announced his replacement would be the outspoken former Mayor of London Boris Johnson.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments