GMB today saw hosts Charlotte Hawkins and Ben Shephard interview ‘Don’t Pay UK’ campaigners on the show.
The presenting duo came under fire for grilling the campaigners during the energy bill debate, with some viewers accusing them of ‘siding’ with the government.
What happened on GMB today?
During today’s show, Ben and Charlotte spoke about Martin Lewis‘ recent warning that many may stop paying energy bills as prices soar.
The duo welcomed on ‘Don’t Pay UK’ campaigner, Simon, to debate whether or not paying bills is the right way to protest.
In the debate, Simon explained Don’t Pay UK’s campaign, however, Ben was concerned that it could lead to criminal charges.
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“They could be cut off,” Charlotte said. However, Simon was quick to assure the hosts that they aren’t encouraging people to “steal” energy.
“We are not advocating that anyone steals energy, what we are talking about here is mass renegotiation,” he said.
“So we cancel out direct debits, we pay what we can afford, and if enough people do that I think the government will have to see sense and come to the table.”
Charlotte and Ben debate with Don’t Pay UK
However, Ben and Charlotte weren’t convinced by Simon’s justification.
“Isn’t it stealing it though if you are using the electricity but not paying for it?” Charlotte asked.
“Nobody is talking about not paying for the energy we use, we are talking about renegotiating the terms on which we pay for it,” Simon said.
“But you’re saying ‘This is the price I’m prepared to pay no matter what the energy company has to pay to be able to get that energy to you’,” Charlotte argued.
Simon then said that the government is in a position where they can “extort however much they want”, which is “unacceptable”.
Good Morning Britain debate
Plenty of viewers were unhappy with how Ben and Charlotte behaved during the debate. Many accused the duo of siding with the government rather than those struggling to pay their bills.
“I can’t understand why Charlotte is trying to give that bloke such a hard time,” one viewer tweeted.
“Typical: Ben and Charlotte on the side of cutting off the power to people who don’t pay their energy bills,” another said.
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“Charlotte defending the energy firms [eye-roll emoji],” a third wrote.
Another viewer called Charlotte “out of touch”.
However, many also argued against Simon as one tweeted: “None of us want to pay the high energy prices but this is stupid.”
Another wrote: “The debt will have to be paid off eventually you are just postponing it for the future. Terrible idea.”
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