Boris Johnson appeared on Good Morning Britain today (May 3), five years after his last interview on the show. Susanna Reid sat down with the Prime Minister in Downing Street's study to grill him over the lack of support being given to Ukrainian women and children, Partygate and the rising cost of living.
After 'hiding in a fridge' to avoid speaking to Piers Morgan in the run-up to the 2019 election, Boris was unable to escape Susanna's persistent questioning in today's interview, which lasted just over 20 minutes. Following a discussion about the crisis in Ukraine, Susanna asked the Prime Minister about his role in the cost of living crisis, before bringing up some upsetting case studies.
It was after Susanna told the heartbreaking story of Elsie, a 77-year-old widow affected by the cost of living crisis, that some viewers hit out at what they said was Boris's 'tone deaf' response. Susanna, who highlighted at the beginning of the interview that today marks 1,791 days since the Prime Minister last appeared on Good Morning Britain, said: "You have said that individuals have to make choices about what they spend their money on - you're on record as saying that.
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"And I want to ask you, then, about a number of our viewers who have got in touch with us about the choices that they're making. Elsie is 77, she's a widow and she's a pensioner who lives in a council house.
"She receives a pension of £170 a week. Her energy bills have gone - get this - from £17 a month to £85 a month. She will pay an additional £816 a year."
Susanna added: "To cut down on spending, Prime Minister, Elsie has now resorted to eating one meal a day - she’s 77 years old. She’s losing weight.
"She goes to the supermarket at the end of the day to buy yellow sticker discounted items, she gets up early in the morning to use her Freedom Bus Pass, to stay on buses all day to avoid using energy at home. What else should Elsie cut back on?"
The story of Elsie is one that many viewers at home could sympathise with and relate to, which meant that many were upset and angry when the Prime Minister gave his response. He said: "Well I don’t want Elsie to cut back on... let's talk about Elsie, and what we’re doing.
"And just to remind you that the 24-hour Freedom Bus Pass was something that I actually introduced."
On Twitter, viewers expressed their disappointment towards the Prime Minister's comment. Jack Davies wrote: "Susanna Reid on @GMB just asked Boris Johnson about Elsie, 77, who rides buses all day because she can’t afford to heat her home. “What will you do to help her?” PM: “The 24 hr freedom bus pass was something I actually introduced". Tone deaf."
Meanwhile, Tom Peck said: "Susanna Reid has just Boris Johnson a story about a 77 year old woman who rides around on buses all day because she can’t afford to heat her home. Johnson: “I actually introduced the freedom bus pass.” Good grief."
Nick Deal wrote: "Arrogant, tone-deaf, heartless. Use whatever word you want, Boris Johnson should not be in charge of this country."
Other questions posed by Susanna included whether or not the Prime Minister is a truthful leader. Boris Johnson insisted he is an 'honest' politician as he admitted being 'inadvertently' wrong in his comments to Parliament about the partygate row.
When asked whether he was honest, Boris said: "Yes. I think the best way to judge that is to look at what this Government says it’s going to do and what it does."
He added: "I do my best to represent faithfully and accurately what I believe, and sometimes it’s controversial and sometimes it offends people, but that’s what I do."
In response to a suggestion that some people believe he is a liar, Mr Johnson said: "If you are talking about the statements I’ve made in the House of Commons, I was inadvertently… I was wrong and I’ve apologised for that."
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