MILLIONAIRE Tory Jeremy Hunt was told to apologise yesterday after claiming tax credits must be cut to make poor people work harder.

The Health Secretary said the British economy lagged behind Asian countries and THE US because of our work ethic.

And he claimed cutting the benefits for low-paid workers was needed to send a “very important cultural signal” to them.

Mr Hunt, one of the richest Cabinet members with a personal fortune of £4.8 million, defended the cut at a Tory conference fringe meeting.

“That is about creating culture where work is at the heart of our success,” he said.

“I don’t want to pretend that it won’t be very challenging, but I do believe that moving to a culture where work pays and we are trying to help people be independent and stand on their own two feet, is the most important thing we can do for people on low incomes.”

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey condemned his slur as a “kick in the teeth” for working people.

He said: “This is a disgraceful insult from the richest member of the cabinet to millions of people struggling to get by working hard for long hours in insecure employment.

“In a country that already works some of the longest hours in the western world, these comments are simply an outrageous slur on the all too many workers juggling two and three jobs to put food on the table and a roof over their kids’ heads.”