Piers Morgan shut down by Keir Starmer in coronavirus row
PIERS MORGAN was shut down by Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer on today’s edition of Good Mornin..
PIERS MORGAN was shut down by Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer on today’s edition of Good Morning Britain as the politician was asked what he thought of the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Piers Morgan, 55, couldnt help but question Sir Keir Starmer, 57, about the latest polls which have now put the Labour Party leader ahead of Boris Johnson, 56, to become the Prime Minister during the next General Election. With the current leader of the government facing a backlash over his response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Good Morning Britain host asked his guest how he “wasnt laughing out loud” at the majority sitting in Parliament. However, when the politician responded, he seemed to rebuff what the host had asked him, leading to an awkward response to the questioning.
Sat alongside his co-host Susanna Reid, 49, Morgan put to Sir Starmer the Conservatives came out with a “huge election victory” at the end of December.
Towards the end of January, he said Mr Johnson had become a “hero” for following through with the Brexit process before the coronavirus crisis hit.
Since March and the governments response to the COVID-19 outbreak, members of the public are now taking a negative stance towards the Prime Ministers chances of winning a majority again.
“When Boris Johnson stands there and says, Im very proud of our record and how weve handled the pandemic, I mean how do you stop laughing out loud in incredulity?” the host asked.
“The reason I dont laugh is because I think of the 65,000 people who have died of coronavirus and their families,” the Labour leader replied as he shut down the presenters question.
Explaining himself, the politician went on to say: “Pride is not something you would ever associate with whats happened over the last three months.
“I think the Prime Minister has been asleep at the wheel. Hes been slow. The communication has been terrible.
“It began to break down frankly when Dominic Cummings put forward a ridiculous defence about what hed done in the North East.”
Despite only taking the position back in April, the Labour leader has trumped the current Prime Minister from his role.
According to a recent Opinium poll, 37 percent of voters believe Sir Starmer would be the best person to lead the country following the next General Election.
Mr Johnsons standing falls at 35 percent, with members of the public voicing their disapproval with the way the UK Government has handled the coronavirus pandemic.
The survey carried out at the end of June also saw a majority believe lockdown measures had been eased too quickly by the Prime Minister.
Head of political polling at Opinium Adam Drummond said: “Boris Johnsons approval rating remains narrowly negative, while Keir Starmers remains substantially positive.”
“Politically, the new normal is that for the first time in over a decade Labour has a leader who outperforms their party while the Conservatives have a leader who underperforms theirs, and the crossover in preferred prime minister is a reflection of that,” Drummond continued.
Sir Starmer also blasted the Prime Minister and his government for boycotting Good Morning Britain, which is now in its 62nd day.
“If you want to be a leader, you have to take responsibility and thats where this Prime Minister really struggles.”
“I come on your show knowing youre going to ask me questions that I take decisions – ours will take a view on them – but Ive got the responsibility to come on and answer,” he continued.
Morgan replied: “I agree and I dont think any capable, smart politician needn’t worry about coming on Good Morning Britain.”
According to latest figures, over 311,000 people have now tested positive for coronavirus in the UK.
The death toll now across the four nations is now standing at 43,550.
The global number of fatalities now stands at over 500,000, with more than 10 million people across the world having been infected with the virus.