Richard Madeley got into a heated clash with rail union boss Mick Lynch over strike action on Tuesday morning (December 13).
The ITV presenter grilled the General Secretary of the RMT over the decision to strike at Christmas on Good Morning Britain, but things took a tense turn when the pair got into a bust-up over when Christmas started.
It comes as rail workers have decided to strike on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday of this week during their long-running dispute over pay and working practices.
READ MORE:GMB’s Richard Madeley and Kate Garraway leave studio in major format shake-up
Rail workers will also stage walkouts on third, fourth, sixth and seventh of January.
(Image: ITV)
Richard asked Mick: “Let’s focus on Christmas now, and I’m not being sentimental about this. You will know because you keep an eye on the opinion polls, that many people who support your right to strike and who support your basic thrust and your cause, are appalled that you’re striking over Christmas.
“They feel that it’s an act of almost sadism and unkindness. What ever happened to Christmas kindness? Why couldn’t you put all of these strikes, every single one of them, into January? Why do you have to target people at Christmas?
(Image: ITV)
“You’re going to be putting people out of business who run hotels, who run restaurants, who run bars… retail. This is the time of year where they make their money, and you are robbing them of their income for the coming year. Many of them are saying they’re going to go bust.”
Mick replied: “Well we’re not targeting Christmas. It isn’t Christmas yet, Richard. I don’t know when your Christmas starts but mine starts on Christmas Eve.”
Mr Lynch began to explain that the railway unions were striking at this time as they still haven’t got a settlement from the government.
(Image: ITV)
But Richard cut him off before he could go on, with the presenter fuming: “That’s disingenuous. Commercial Christmas starts in December. You know that as well. You’re being disingenuous.”
Mick hit back: “It’s not disingenuous, is it?” but Richard kept talking, so he said: “Well if you’d let me finish the answer. Richard, you’re just talking to yourself at the minute. You’re ranting.”
Madeley then told Mick: “I won’t let you get away with nonsense,” referring to Lynch’s point about Christmas starting on Christmas Eve.
Madeley replied: “Well, would you answer the question Mr Lynch? Then I’ll shut up,” but when Madeley interrupted him again he said: “Richard, why don’t you just interview yourself if you want to talk to me like this?”
The host said: “Mr Lynch, I’m holding you to account on behalf of the viewers, not on behalf of myself.”
Richard added: “I’m not interested in the sound of my own voice, I’m interested in yours answering the question. Why do you have to target Christmas?”
Mick asked: “Well if you’d like to hear mine, why don’t you stop talking so much?”
Eventually, Kate Garraway stepped in to let Mr Lynch speak.
Explaining the decision to strike from 6pm on Christmas Eve until 6am on December 27, Mr Lynch said: “Something has changed. Network Rail have told us no matter what happens they will impose work-life balance changes and cuts, so we had to respond to that”.
He also said the additional strike action is actually targeted at engineering works during the “Christmas shutdown”, rather than the passenger service.
For more of the latest showbiz and TV news from the Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
READ NEXT:
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
