Industry minister Sarah Jones has hit back at Andrew Neil after the broadcaster publicly questioned her credentials.
Jones unveiled the government鈥檚 Industrial Strategy this week, a year鈥檚 worth of work which aims to 鈥渄eliver strong economic growth鈥 and create a million jobs across the country over the next decade.
But according to the Times Radio anchor and former BBC presenter Neil, she may not have the experience to be playing a leading role in such a plan.
Replying to Jones鈥 post about the Industrial Strategy on X, he wrote: 鈥淎 politician who鈥檚 never started or run a business or has any experience in wealth/job creation but with a background in the civil service and public affairs has played a key part devising an industrial strategy to create 1m well-paid jobs. Who said the age of miracles was over?鈥
When asked by HuffPost UK to respond, the minister said: 鈥淲ell, it鈥檚 not true.
鈥淎s minister of state for industry, what I have been doing is talking to as many businesses as possible, understanding where they are coming from, so we can help them grow and support good jobs.鈥
Jones went on to list some of the organisations who have praised the strategy.
She said: 鈥淚鈥檒l take my advice from the CBI [Confederation of British Industry] who said 鈥榖usiness leaders across the UK will roll up their sleeves to deliver this strategy,鈥 or Make UK who said, 鈥楾oday marks a major win for UK manufacturing,鈥 or UK Steel who said, 鈥楢t last we have a government that recognises the importance of industry鈥.鈥
Before joining parliament in 2017, the MP for Croydon West worked for Northern Ireland secretary Mo Mowlam, worked at Shelter and the NHS Confederation.
She also worked as a senior civil servant at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, helping to oversee the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics.
Jones worked in public and private sector roles after leaving the civil service.