Good Morning Britain's Susanna Reid clashed with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch during a heated interview on Tuesday, as she pressed the politician on key policy issues. The exchange escalated when Reid asked whether Badenoch would keep or cut the increase in employers' national insurance, a policy introduced by Labour.
Badenoch initially deflected, saying, “So you're asking lots of questions...” prompting Reid to interrupt and shout, “Yes because the prime minister says we need to know what you would you do as an alternative!” Badenoch responded by criticising Labour's record, stating, “We wouldn't have done this in the first place. What we're asking now is how much of Labour's mess are we going to have to clean up?”
When pressed further, Badenoch listed policies the Tories would reverse, including family business taxes, family farm taxes, VAT on private schools, and a law concerning veterans. She said, “There is a lot that we would do to clean up the mess that Labour has left.”
Earlier in the interview, Reid highlighted a “slip of the tongue” when Badenoch appeared to suggest the Tories might do a deal with Reform UK. Badenoch initially said, “We are not going to do deals on that basis,” before correcting herself: “Sorry, we're not doing deals.” Reid challenged her, asking if the slip revealed a hidden intention, but Badenoch denied this, saying it was merely a response to the question.
The interview comes amid ongoing tensions within the Conservative Party, with justice minister Jake Richards recently branding the Tories “pathetic” over Badenoch's defence of shadow attorney general David Wolfson, who represented Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. Richards accused the party of a “desperate defence” and a clear conflict of interest.
