Alastair Campbell appeared to criticise the Queen’s Speech during Wednesday morning’s incarnation of Good Morning Britain.
Susanna Reid’s temporary co-host, who is currently filling Piers Morgan’s seat for Mental Health Awareness Week, branded the speech “thin” during a debate with former Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Blair began: “If you look at the Queen’s speech yesterday-“
When Alastair interjected: “Thin.”
Blair continued: “I think the thinness of it – because it was quite thin in the end – is you can talk about levelling up but doing it is extremely difficult when you’re dealing with long-term issues to do with deindustrialisation.”
(Image: ITV)
He added: “I was looking at the statistics the other day and County Durham in the 1950s, early 60s, 120,000 people just in County Durham were employed in mining, so this has been going on a long, long time.”
Blair continued to explain the reasons behind the speech’s apparent ‘thinness’.
But Alastair wasn’t done with his blistering critique of the speech, in which the Queen laid out the government’s plans for the future, which included voter ID and a controversial policing bill.
(Image: ITV)
Later, during a chat with Environment Secretary George Eustice, Alastair said it was the first time the Queen’s Speech had been covered just as much for what was not included – like reform to social care – as for what was.
The speech has faced widespread criticism this year as the government neglected to include reform to adult social care provision, especially after care homes became a focal point during the coronavirus pandemic.
But they had the “bandwidth”, according to Susanna Reid, to cover voter ID and considerations for animals as sentient beings.
Alastair later made a royal blunder during an interview with former footballer Vinnie Jones, as he accidentally announced the Queen was dead.
(Image: Getty Images)
He later apologised for the gaffe, explaining he meant her late husband Prince Philip instead.
While discussing Vinnie’s new book, Alastair said: “We talked a lot about Prince Philip, you know obviously after the death of the Queen, and one of the phrases that kept being used was something she said after September 11 – that statement that we had to take to New York.
“Grief is the prize we have to pay for love. And that’s kind of what comes out of your book.”
Producers obviously had to point out the blunder which left Alastair red-faced, as he apologised: “Sorry, I think I may have just announced the death of the Queen. I meant Prince Philip.”
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But concerned fans had already flocked to Twitter to question the presenter’s words.
“Please Confirm @GMB is the Queen dead?? #GMB” one wrote.
Another questioned: “#GMB Death of the queen?”
Someone else penned: “Has @campbellclaret just told us, the Queen died? #gmb”
While a fourth exclaimed: “When did the Queen die? #GMB At least @piersmorgan doesn’t get confused!”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
