Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced a barrage of tough questioning on GMB this morning as Susanna Reid brought up his honesty, claims of lying, the cost of living crisis and the UK's response to refugees from Ukraine. The 20 minute interview was delayed from the original 8.15am slot and ran into Lorraine's programme.
Below, we look at some of the issues and questions the Prime Minister faced on a range of topics. The interview, the first time in almost five years Mr Johnson has been on Good Morning Britain, came ahead of local elections in many parts of the UK on Thursday.
On honesty
Boris Johnson insisted he is an “honest” politician as he admitted being “inadvertently” wrong in his comments to Parliament about the partygate row. Asked whether he is honest, the Prime Minister said: “Yes. I think the best way to judge that is to look at what this Government says it’s going to do and what it does.”
He added: “I do my best to represent faithfully and accurately what I believe, and sometimes it’s controversial and sometimes it offends people, but that’s what I do.” In response to a suggestion that some people believe he is a liar, Mr Johnson said: “If you are talking about the statements I’ve made in the House of Commons, I was inadvertently… I was wrong and I’ve apologised for that.”
Why he won't resign
Boris Johnson said he is “getting on with the job” when he was asked why he will not resign over the partygate scandal, breaking the law and accusations that he misled Parliament. Asked about his claims that he is an honest person, the Prime Minister said: “I have apologised for the things we got wrong during the pandemic.”
Pressed on the issue, he said: “With great respect, I’m going to have to ask you to wait until the end of the investigation.” He added: “I will make sure that, as soon as I’m able to say something on the conclusion of the investigation, you will have a lot more on it.”
Asked why he should not resign like Matt Hancock as health secretary and Allegra Stratton as Downing Street press secretary, Mr Johnson said: “I’m getting on with the job that I was elected to do and discharge the mandate that I was given, and I’m proud of what we have been doing.”
Cost of living
Boris Johnson has insisted the Government is doing “everything we can” to help with the cost-of-living crisis. But the Prime Minister warned that increasing state support beyond its current levels could drive inflation even higher.
There is a “global context” caused by a surge in energy prices which is hitting all aspects of the economy including food, he said, adding: “The cost of chickens is crazy.”
On energy, Mr Johnson said: “This country is in the insane position of having to take in, pipe in, electricity from France and elsewhere because we haven’t done enough to invest in our own security of energy and electricity.”
The Government has set out a £9 billion package of loans to cut energy bills and council tax rebates, but Boris Johnson faces calls to go further. The Prime Minister said: “I accept that those contributions from the taxpayer – because that’s what it is, taxpayers’ money – isn’t going to be enough immediately to cover everybody’s costs.”
Put to him that that means the Government is not doing everything it can, Mr Johnson admitted: “There is more that we can do. But the crucial thing is to make sure we deal with the prices over the medium and long term.”
Boris Johnson on Elsie
In response to the case of a 77-year-old viewer called Elsie, who has seen her energy bill increase from £17 to £85 a month, has cut down to one meal a day and travels on buses all day to stay out of the house and reduce her bills, the Prime Minister said: “I don’t want Elsie to cut back on anything.”
He added: “The 24-hour freedom bus pass was actually something that I actually introduced.”
Mr Johnson said there are “plenty of things more that we are doing”, adding: “What we want to do is make sure that we have people who are in particular hardship looked after by their councils, so we are putting much more money into local councils.
“We have the particular payments to help elderly people in particular with the cost of heating.”
On the Ukraine crisis
The Prime Minister has admitted the UK could have reacted faster in helping Ukrainian refugees. Boris Johnson said “large numbers” of those fleeing the war are now coming to Britain.
He defended current efforts to take in refugees. “Well, we have done a huge amount to help Ukrainian women and children in the area but we’re now seeing large numbers come to the UK,” he said.
“So far 86,000 visas have been issued and 27,000 are already here and I want to say ‘thank you’ – 27,000 is a lot and it’s growing fast and I want to pay tribute to all those who are helping to look after Ukrainians.
“Could we have done it faster? Yes, perhaps we could.”
Asked about the possibility of offering visa-free travel to Ukrainian refugees, Mr Johnson said: “It’s important to protect the system from those who might want to abuse it. It’s also important to protect the women and children from coming to somewhere where they’re not going to get the welcome that we would want, so that’s why the screening and all the work we’ve done to match up people, and the results are starting to be really excellent, you’re seeing large numbers now.”
Who's Lorraine?
The Prime Minister seemed unsure who Lorraine Kelly was when Susanna Reid mentioned that she would be picking up some of the issues raised in the interview, asking: "Who's Lorraine?"
Susanna Reid said: "Good to talk to you, Lorraine is waiting to take up all the issues that you have brought up in this interivew."
Mr Johnson said: "Who's Lorraine?"
