Lisa Nandy faced calls to resign live on air after her department's Remembrance Sunday statement was branded "appalling" and tone-deaf. The Culture Secretary was forced to reject accusations that she "politicised" the day honouring those who fell protecting Great Britain at war.
Her department announced on Saturday night that "as we mark Remembrance Sunday, Erasmus+ will give a new generation the chance to build connections across Europe". Nandy said she was "horrified" by the backlash and insisted the expanded EU scheme would "help young Brits recognise war sacrifice."
GB News presenter calls for resignation
On GB News, presenter Ben Leo raged: "I just wonder, as I said in the last hour, nothing ever gets done anymore about these politicians or these big gaffes or mistakes. I would argue 20 years ago, she would have been, well, maybe not sacked, but maybe on the precipice. She is the Culture Secretary of Great Britain, the Culture Secretary on a day when the nation stops to pay tribute to the war dead. She's saying stuff like that and doesn't have the intelligence, by the way. Not only that, I think her reaction this morning was even worse than the original sin."
He added: "Going on the airwaves on Remembrance Sunday and doubling down and accusing others. I mean, sorry, she has to go, actually, just for proving herself so thick this morning. She has to go."
Guest criticises Nandy's record
Fellow guest Claire agreed: "She's held this office for the past two years. And for me, she's done absolutely nothing but an absolute disservice to the country, not only her portfolio of culture. There's nothing cultured about this woman."
She continued: "And for her to have been so, so incredibly tone deaf on this day in history, where we remember the fallen, the dead, of all regiments, of all faiths, of all creeds, of all sexes moving forward, those martyrs, if you will, who would give up their lives for this country. And for her to say, and her to make it about, 'yeah, don't worry, we'll overreach the young people, we will bring them into Europe,' hit patronising."
"And how odd that she might say that on such an important, important feast day like this. It's just ridiculous. It really isn't for Burnham not to get a hold of this as her boss, as the leader of this country, I think, is even worse. It's even more appalling."
