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A rising Tory star has played down the impact of Government cuts because they have not left people “lying dead in the streets”.

Chris Skidmore made the remarks at the Conservative conference during a meeting of the Thatcherite Free Enterprise Group.

The 32-year-old MP for Kingswood, near Bristol, was one of three people pictured walking with David Cameron on the opening day of the conference. He also introduced ministers Jeremy Hunt and Michael Gove when they addressed delegates.

But the historian said his quotes had been taken out of context.

He added: “The point I was making was that when we were making cuts, people suggested they were so bad that people would be lying dead in the streets. That has clearly not happened.

"With the economy recovering it is not the picture of doom that was predicted.”

Furious Labour MP Lisa Nandy said his remarks exposed the Tories’ callous attitude to people hit hard by their austerity measures.

She added: “It’s a pretty extreme measure by which to assess the impact of cuts. Hundreds of thousands have been hit by the bedroom tax and a million youngsters are out of work.

“People will be shocked to hear the dismissive way Tories treat suffering.”