A brutal showing for Minister-turned-showbiz star Matt Hancock this morning. It turns out the “substantial” charitable donation from his jungle fee was £10,000 – or rather, 3% of the cool £330,000 sum. Good Morning Britain hosts Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley didn’t let him off lightly. Always difficult to say you didn’t eat testicles for the money… and then keep 97% of the money:
“The primary reason is because I have… I developed over the pandemic, over lockdown, and over my resignation, […] a very public figure. And I felt that what the public knew about me was through a particular lens, you know, through coming on this programme and Piers Morgan shouting monologues at me for over 20 minutes… it was totally ridiculous.”
“I didn’t primarily do it for the money, I primarily did it to try to show who I really am… and I gave a five-figure sum to charity…”
Of course, Hancock is free to do with his money as he pleases. Most people would gladly take the cash for chewing on a kangaroo’s anus. Although clearly definitions of “substantial” donations vary…
“‘Shows go on and so on we go”…
An almighty row broke out earlier when Jess Phillips tried clarifying her Brexit policy and whether, as she suggested on Marr at the weekend, as leader she’d turn Labour into a ‘rejoin’ party. If Piers’s and Susanna’s reactions were representative of the public’s, she didn’t do a very convincing job…
Jeremy Corbyn has entirely predictably backtracked on the overnight briefing saying he would ditch his commitment to free movement. Speaking to Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain, he clarified that “If the EU says access to the single market requires freedom of movement I would say… economically we’ve got to be able to trade with Europe”. In other words that Britain should prioritise the single market over controlling borders. He then told Today he would not end the “right to travel”, also known as free movement, adding “We’re not saying anyone couldn’t come here”.
As of last night Corbyn was saying “Labour is not wedded to freedom of movement for EU citizens”, this morning he’s ultimately saying he would keep free movement. When Labour sent out the speech excerpts outlining the tougher line on immigration, it was inevitable that Corbyn wouldn’t stick to it. What will he say in his speech? Find out at 3pm…
Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid had to improvise when she forgot her spoon this morning…
