Kate Garraway defends Good Morning Britain after Jeffrey Archer blasts show for focusing on ‘bad side’ of government

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Kate Garraway stepped in to defend Good Morning Britain after Jeffery Archer accused it of being constantly negative towards the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

In a heated debate on Thursday’s episode, concerns about the Indian coronavirus variant were raised along with questions about why India was not put on the red list of countries earlier.

Jeffrey weighed in but became agitated when fellow guest, columnist Ayesha Hazarika, attempted to respond to his argument that more emphasis should be put on the positive actions of government in the ongoing crisis.

He said on the programme: ‘Can I just pick up one of your points because you do it every week. I mean I realise that’s why you come on, but if I could point out…’

Noticing Ayesha was trying to speak he snapped: ‘Wait a moment please. You had a long speech. If I could just point out – if I was a German, or a Spaniard, or an Italian or a Frenchman or woman, I might be pretty cross that I’m only at 26% of people vaccinated and those awful British are at 65%.

‘Yes they will be looking into how this was all conducted but I do wish we could say sometimes there’s been a good side as well as a bad side.’

Back in the studio Kate replied: ‘I think we pay tribute to the vaccine rollout on this programme, I think Ayesha has as well.’

‘You’d think being on holiday would make you less cross!’ she joked.

Ayesha added: ‘I have said the vaccine rollout has gone well but just because one thing is going well it doesn’t mean you take your eye off the ball.

‘How mad is it that you go to all these lengths to start getting this really good vaccination rollout, and you don’t do the one thing to protect your citizens by protecting the border from variants which could disrupt your excellent vaccine rollout?’

There was a truce shortly after as Jeffrey agreed: ‘I’d have stopped Indian flights coming immediately and I don’t understand why it wasn’t done a month ago. I agree with you on that.’

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV.

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