Ed Balls clashed with policing minister Chris Philip on Good Morning Britain over the loss of police officers under the current government.
Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid began by questioning Mr Philip on the figures as she said: "24,000 police officers taken off the streets, it's no surprise that knife crime went on the rise. Where did the police officers go?"
The policing minister replied: "The reason police officer numbers fell in the years immediately after 2010 and there were spending constraints in other public services as well is because the outgoing Labour government left the country essentially bankrupt and George Osbourne had to take difficult decisions to put it back in order."
Interrupting, Susanna quipped: "It was your decision to make those cuts to the police force."
Mr Philip urged the presenter to "let me finish" before blaming the fall in the number of police officers on the previous Labour government.
"The previous Labour government, with all due to respect to Ed, bankrupted the country," he repeated.
Furiously hitting back at the Tory MP, Ed called on the policing minister to reveal whether the UK's national debt had fallen in the current government.
Mr Philip attempted to doge the question as the former Labour politician exclaimed: "Debt has risen every year since 2010!"
Good Morning Britain viewers hit out at the Tory MP as one tweeted: "How long has this Government been in power? Just like in Australia, instead of taking responsibility blames someone else, usually Labor. The Minister appeared to become defensive and had difficulty answering some question, becoming defensive and agitated."
"Typical Tory, blame the last labour government of 13 years ago and yet the whole country is in a bigger mess than it's ever been," another wrote and a third said: "So if labour bankrupted the country, how have you managed to triple the national debt? Surely we must be bankrupt on steroids now. Labour or Gordon Browns quick thinking saved this country you gaslighting prat from the banking crisis started in America."
However, one frustrated viewer added: "How can @edballs an ex Labour MP sit there & allow that Tory to say Labour bankrupted the country, without mentioning the worldwide banking crisis?"
