Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid was shut down live on air during a heated exchange with Labour minister Jacqui Smith over Sir Keir Starmer's future and Andy Burnham's potential as prime minister. The debate unfolded on Monday morning (June 22) as speculation mounts over a leadership challenge against Starmer following Andy Burnham's historic by-election victory in Makerfield last week.
Reid Hints at Starmer's Impending Resignation
Before welcoming Jacqui Smith onto the show, Susanna Reid revealed that the Labour minister had already hinted that Starmer's days in office were numbered. Reid stated that Smith told viewers earlier that "I would have been happy for him to continue," appearing to confirm an upcoming resignation. The odds of Starmer stepping down have risen sharply amid the political turmoil.
Smith Praises Burnham but Dodges PM Question
When Smith joined Reid and co-presenter Ed Balls, she immediately praised the former Mayor of Manchester, saying: "Andy Burnham is a talented politician. What we saw last week was a brilliant victory in Makerfield, which I think we need to build on in terms of thinking about how we can challenge Reform. I'm really pleased he's coming back into Parliament. I want him to be at the heart of the Labour government."
Ed Balls then asked directly: "Do you think he's Prime Minister material?" Smith swiftly shut down the question, insisting: "Listen, there were a lot of you that thought you were Prime Minister material back then, and probably all of you were, so let's not get ahead of ourselves."
Reid Presses Further, Smith Fumes
Undeterred, Susanna Reid pressed: "But as someone who knows him, will Andy Burnham make a good Prime Minister?" The politician fumed: "Once again, Susanna, I think you are getting ahead of yourself. I think Andy Burnham has a massively important role to play in this Labour government. I'm really pleased that he won that election brilliantly last week. It's got some important messages about how we fight and defeat Reform."
She added: "The first of those challenges is to fight for and hold the mayoralty in Manchester, and to put Andy Burnham's considerable talents to the best possible use in doing that. And in the future of this government, that is so important for the change that we want to see for Britain in whatever role that is."
Viewers React to Explosive Debate
Viewers quickly took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their thoughts on the tense exchange. One user fumed: "Jacqui still doesn't get it. Reform is not the challenge. The challenge is serving the electorate. If you listen and get that right, you have nothing to fear. Stop making it about party politics and start serving the country righteously."
Another called out Ed Balls' "bias" due to his previous political ties and his marriage to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, stating: "Ed Balls should not be presenting a news show or interviewing politicians on a news show it's just wrong."
A third chimed in: "Actually, our great political outsider, Ed Balls, was in the cabinet with Andy Burnham more recently than Jacqui Smith." A fourth echoed: "It's ironic that a man called Balls is lacking cahonies in everything he does in life. Big mouth, no substance."
