Susanna Reid, the show’s host, said Boris Johnson’s response to a 77-year-old woman who eats only one meal a day and travels by bus during the day to keep her home expenditures down was “disappointed” with the response to her plight in an interview with Good Morning Britain.

On the ITV show, Reid questioned the prime minister about Elsie’s financial situation and rising energy bills. Former London mayor Boris Johnson responded: “The 24-hour freedom bus pass [allowing free bus travel for over-60s in London] was actually something that I actually introduced.”

Reid remarked of her discussion with Prime Minister on LBC’s Tonight with Andrew Marr on Tuesday:

“I’ve spoken to Elsie, since the interview this morning with the prime minister, and she says how disappointed she is with what he said.

“Because she says there are people who are even worse off than she is, and there was no answer for them, apart from ‘oh I was the person who was responsible for the bus pass,’ I mean, as if she’s supposed to be grateful.”

Andrew Marr added: “Which is by the way, not entirely accurate itself because it was the London boroughs who brought that in.”