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An ITV interview with the Home Secretary about the scourge of far-right nationalism in the UK has drawn backlash from viewers over accusations of bias after it was conducted by her husband.
Good Morning Britain’s Ed Balls hosted the breakfast show alongside co-anchor Kate Garraway on Monday (August 5), and came under scrutiny after he began to intervew his wife, Yvette Cooper, on the scale of the ugly protests so far.
Viewers criticised the channel after the “absurd” interview setup struck viewers as completely inappropriate because of their relationship, with one sniping that this was “our media ecosystem”.
Balls, who is a former Labour chancellor under Gordon Brown, told Garraway: “I have not really seen her at all in the last week.
“When these events happen, and if you’re the Prime Minister or the Home Secretary, it becomes pretty much 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so it’s tough.”
But despite his comments about having not seen Ms Cooper this week, the dynamic sat uncomfortable with some viewers.
Balls meanwhile came under scrutiny in the first half of the show when – in a debate with MP Zara Sultana over use of the word “Islamaphobia” – she claimed the government were balking at using such a loaded but in her view necessary term.
The Home Secretary was featured on the morning programme to face questions about the police response to the nationwide riots that have erupted in the last week since the Southport incident that left three children dead.
Balls prompted Cooper to ask “genuine questions” saying: “This is what is happening on the social media platforms.
“What can be done, what should be done now by the social media companies and the police and the government to stop this happening, because it’s been happening for a week?”
Cooper responded with: “What we've seen on the streets of some cities and towns over the weekend frankly is criminal violence and thuggery.
“That is what it is first and foremost, and that's why it needs the full force of the law behind it.”
The Home Secretary and GMB presenter have been married for over 25 years and have three children together – they were the first married couple to serve in government alongside each other back in 2008.
Cooper added that social media played a vital role in propagating the violence stating: “They have to take much greater responsibility for what is happening on their platforms that frankly they make huge amounts of money from...
“We’re going to be pursuing that with the social media companies as well.”
Aggravated by the apparent conflict of interest, viewers were quick to jump online to voice their frustration on X.
One user (@Saul Staniforth) tweeted: “As for husband interviewing wife, how does #GMB think this is tenable?”
Ofcom currently does not include restrictions on such specifics of a husband interviewing his wife but due impartiality laws state: “No politician may be used as a newsreader, interviewer or reporter in any news programmes unless, exceptionally, it is editorially justified. In that case, the political allegiance of that person must be made clear to the audience.”
Therefore, it is likely that Balls infringes on the rule because he is no longer a serving MP.
