Piers Morgan returned to Good Morning Britain on Monday after a week off due to coronavirus fears, immediately launching a fierce attack on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s new lockdown strategy. The presenter, who tested negative for COVID-19, branded the government’s latest advice an “absolute disgrace” and a “total scandal”.
Morgan clashed with Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen during the show, accusing him of misunderstanding the new rules. Bridgen had claimed the government’s message was “very clear”, but Morgan pointed out that the MP’s own interpretation contradicted official guidance. “You, as a leading high profile Conservative politician, haven't got a clue about what these rules actually mean,” Morgan fumed.
The presenter also criticised the replacement of the “stay at home” slogan with “stay alert”, arguing it was confusing and lacked clear definition. He questioned the government’s handling of the pandemic, highlighting the UK’s high death toll and lack of testing. “It's an absolute national disgrace when you compare it to any other control in the world,” he said.
Morgan further condemned the delayed quarantine measures for international arrivals, noting that millions had flown into UK airports without checks. “We've allowed effectively this herd immunity through our airports for months and months,” he said, calling the timing of the new quarantine rules “ridiculous”.
Co-host Susanna Reid echoed the confusion, noting that details from a government press conference had not been shared with the public. Dr Hilary Jones agreed with Morgan that the virus cannot be controlled without a vaccine, calling the new slogan “nonsense”.
