A top Tory has clashed with GB News’s Political Editor Christopher Hope after accusing the People’s Channel of not doing enough to hold Labour to account.
Matt Vickers, the Shadow Policing Minister, joined presenter Martin Daubney today – but the discussion soon spiralled when the Tory piled blame on Christopher for “letting [the PM] sell this absolute garbage to the country”.
Mr Vickers started off taking aim at the Lord Mandelson scandal engulfing the Labour Party, admitting everyone knew the peer was a “rotter”, although they were not aware of his connections with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
But, when grilled on Kemi Badenoch failing to challenge the Prime Minister to apologise to the grooming gangs victims in Britain when he issued an apology to Epstein’s victims, Mr Vickers began to accuse GB News of failing to hold them to account.
First, he lauded the People Channel’s journalism that led to exposing grooming gangs across 50 towns across the UK, adding: “And here we are nearly two years down the line with sod all being done about it… That is a stain on society.
“Our failure to actually get a grip to have this investigation underway, to deliver justice for those people, to learn those lessons and have anybody who covered it up, held to account is another huge stain on this society and this Government and its utter failings to get a grip on the problem.”
While Martin argued the Tories could have launched an inquiry while in power, Mr Vickers insisted they were not aware of the scale of the issue, citing the creation of the grooming gangs task force.
“The scale of the thing has been completely exposed by the work that Charlie did on this channel, and ever since then, it’s actually the Conservative Party who’ve been kicking this Government to get the thing done,” the MP claimed.
Matt Vickers said GB News failed to sufficiently scrutinise Sir Keir Starmer during the General Election
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But Mr Vickers then argued it was the fault of the journalists that “let them get away with it for this long”.
He fumed: “It’s the right thing to do. They need to get on with it. It’s atrocious. In fact, it’s on you lot as journalists. Why have you let them get away with it for this long?”
“Why is that man still in No10? Why haven’t you got the public to boot him out?”
“Well, why don’t you properly oppose him at the last election?” Christopher fired back. “Why didn’t you actually make the arguments to stop this majority? Don’t blame us for your failures!”
“You persuaded people they could believe in this Government’s absolute pledges,” the Tory shouted.
Christopher simply exclaimed: “That’s nonsense!”
‘I think one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard in this TV studio,’ Martin said
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“You are out of time, out of arguments,” Christopher slammed.
“You didn’t hold him to account. You let him sell this absolute garbage to the country. Now he’s in there doing untold harm,” Mr Vickers fumed.
“You’re blaming journalists for your failures?! That’s just pathetic!” the editor guffawed.
The pair were left locked in a furious row, speaking over one another across the desks.
“We’re in that chamber while you’re messing around with tweets and things!” Mr Vickers yelled, accusing GB News of not giving enough airtime to the Tories “holding the Government to account”.
As the row quietened down, Martin said: “I’ll tell you what. Of all the things that’s been accused of Sir Keir Starmer being into power, I never would have held Chris Hope accountable…
“To actually sit there, my friend, and say it’s GB News’s fault,” Martin started, to which Mr Vickers argued Sir Keir suffered insufficient scrutiny during the election period.
“I think one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard in this TV studio,” Martin said. “You don’t think we’re holding them to account?
“I don’t know, we’re talking about rape gangs. We’re talking about paedophilia. We’re talking about an inability to control our police, school standards.
“We’re talking about people being murdered in hotels and getting no apology from the Prime Minister or the Government,” Martin fumed incredulously.
“We’re talking about energy costs going through the roof.
“We’re talking about all these topics all the time. The fact we’re not talking about the precise thing you want us to talk about, it’s bonkers.”