Good Morning Britain viewers blasted the decision to allow Ed Balls to present on the government turmoil today, given that his wife Yvette Cooper is the current Foreign Secretary.
Sir Keir Starmer is currently embroiled in a leadership crisis. MPs are resigning and there are growing calls for him to step down.
On GMB today (May 13), the situation was discussed in length. Early in the show, Ed Balls and Susanna Reid welcomed Mirror editor Kevin Maguire and Gillian Keegan, former Conservative MP. The quartet then discussed the calls for Keir Starmer to resign as PM.
However, viewers were left questioning Ed’s involvement in the debate. Many called out a “conflict of interest” due to his wife’s position in the government…
Ed Balls gives his take on leadership crisis on Good Morning Britain today
Speaking on the show today, Ed said of the backlash surrounding Sir Keir: “It’s become quite nasty and aggressive. And it’s demeaning.”
He then asked his guests: “Is it possible for Keir Starmer to find a way to turn this around? Can he rally MPs and persuade the public he can get things back on course?”
Ed then predicted that Health Secretary Wes Streeting would tell the PM today: “Look, it’s not possible for you to turn this around. You have to decide the timing of your departure.”
He then added: “But it’s got to happen.”
Risk of Ofcom complaints… again?!
However, not for the first time, viewers watching the debate questioned if Ed was the right person to lead the debate.
They claimed that, given his government connections, he would be privy to conversations happening behind closed doors.
Ed – himself a former Labour MP – has been hit with Ofcom complaints after interviewing his wife on the show before.
Viewers react
“Will someone at GMB please tell Susanna Reid that the man sitting two feet away from her is married to a cabinet minister. Ed Balls knows everything that went on yesterday. GMB just taking its viewers for a ride,” they said.
“What is GMB thinking about having the husband of a senior cabinet member covering what’s happening at Number 10? Such a blatant conflict of interest,” said a second.
A third then added: “Ed Balls actively demanding a leadership election where his wife may well be a candidate. The corruption of British media in a nutshell.”
Read more: Ed Balls ‘saved’ from Strictly ‘paedophile’ scandal by wife Yvette Cooper
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