Adil Ray was caught in a fiery clash with Tory MP Grant Shapps on Good Morning Britain today.
The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy appeared on the ITV breakfast show this morning, where he was quizzed about the nurses strikes and why the government weren't doing more to sit down with the union leaders. Earlier in the show, Pat Cullen, the general secretary and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, said she would happily sit down with the government for discussions - but had yet to hear from anyone at the time.
As Mr Shapps appeared on Good Morning Britain today, Adil insisted the Conservatives were not doing enough.
Speaking on the ITV show, Adil said: "They are saying people are leaving the profession and we've heard from nurses who are worried they still will be able to work in the profession next year. So I'm not sure about that."
Mr Shapps tried to speak but Adil continued: "If you agree with it in principle that they're a valuable workforce, then why don't you agree that at least someone from the government should sit down and talk to them about pay."
The Tory MP then went on to say: "Let me just answer the point because first of all, they were the only group of public sector workers who received an increase last year. This was during Covid when everyone else was getting pay freezes.
"Secondly, there's an independent pay review body who make the recommendations that the government has entirely accepted. We haven't tried to skimp on what the independent review body has recommended."
Adil then questioned how independent the body was, as Mr Shapps replied: "If you don't agree with it people obviously challenge - " but the Good Morning Britain host went on to fume: "Then why don't you just sit down with them."
During an appearance on LBC earlier today, Ms Cullen warned she's never seen things be so tough for nurses in four decades.
"I've been a nurse now for 42 years, and I’ve never seen it as tough. Speaking to the nursing staff this morning and on Thursday, I found it heartbreaking listening to their stories, and the fear that they have for the unsafe staffing levels that they are forced to work in within the NHS. That’s not just taking a toll on those patients, but really taking a toll on nurses," she said.
"And then they go home in absolute fear of not being able to make ends meet, and pay their bills. Some of them are absolutely dreading Christmas because they cannot do the things that they would want to be doing for their young families at Christmas [and] pay their utility bills ... It’s just not right and there’s no other way of describing it."
