Good Morning Britain viewers say they were left 'cringing' following Richard Madeley's opening comment to rail trade unionist Mick Lynch. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) general secretary was on the I TV news programme to talk about the rail strikes which is causing chaos across the country.
Passengers are set to be hit by disruption due to the largest strike by rail workers for 30 years. Around 40,000 members of the RMT union at Network Rail and 13 train operators have walked out after last-ditch talks failed to resolve the bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions, with all sides blaming each other for the lack of progress.
Much of Britain will have no passenger trains for the entire day, including most of Scotland and Wales, the whole of Cornwall and Dorset, and places such as Chester, Hull, Lincoln and Worcester.
READ MORE: ITV Good Morning Britain's Richard Madeley says he 'will calm down' after slamming fists on desk
Mick appeared on GMB as commuters faced their first morning of disruption. He spoke to Richard and co-hos Ranvir Singh live form London Euston Station where there are picket lines by union members Kicking off their chat, Richard, 66, asked: "You’ve been accused severely over the past few weeks of being a Marxist.
"It happened again last night, a backbench Tory MP said you are a “Marxist with no interest other than trying to tear down the Government. Now, are you, or are you not a Marxist? Because if you are a Marxist, then you’re into revolution and into bringing down capitalism. So, are you or aren’t you?"
"You do come up with the most remarkable twaddle, I gotta say. Opening an interview with that is nonsense," Mick laughed in response while Richard shouted over him: "Woah, woah woah... I'm not saying you're a Marxist. I'm saying you've been accused of being a Marxist."
He then added: "That's not twaddle, it's called reporting." A Marxist is said to believe that economic and social conditions, and especially the class relations that derive from them, affect every aspect of an individual's life, from religious beliefs to legal systems to cultural frameworks.
But Mick hit back: "I'm not a Marxist, I’m an elected official of the RMT, I’m a working class bloke leading a trade union dispute about jobs, pay and conditions, and service, so it’s got nothing to do with Marxism it’s all about this industrial dispute."
And GMB viewers were quick to flock to social media to comment on the interaction. @andywinter1 tweeted: "'Are you a Marxist?' - Richard Madeley’s first question to RMT leader Mick Lynch on #GMB this morning. It doesn’t even make me angry anymore, it’s just cringe-making."
@xBeerMonkeyx said: "#gmb #goodmorningbritain 'are you an marxist?' What sort of question to start is that." @peeps197 wrote: "#GMB #TubeStrike That was brilliant, how good was Mick Lynch. Richard was so bend out of shape, twaddle, lolz." @DrRaviJ shared: "@GMB Richard Madeley goes full-on Partridge 'Mick Lynch, are you a Marxist, yes or no?' Lynch’s response 'You do come up with a load of twaddle' TV gold!"
READ NEXT:
