Video
Don’t listen to Piers Morgan and pay attention to the government, says Jacob Rees-Mogg
Piers Morgan appears on ITV's Good Morning Britain. Photograph: ITV. - Credit: Archant
Jacob Rees-Mogg has advised Britons to stop paying attention to Piers Morgan and listen to the government.
Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid appear on Good Morning Britain to talk about the coronavirus. Photograph: ITV. - Credit: Archant
The Tory MP and House of Commons leadr had been asked about the role of the media in delivering information to concerned viewers, listeners and readers.
Responding to suggestions that Morgan, a host on ITV's Good Morning Britain, has been making 'irresponsible comments on a daily basis', Rees-Mogg said people do not have to believe everything said by 'controversialists'.
Morgan has been critical of the government's response to the virus outbreak, accusing prime minister Boris Johnson of 'bottling the big decisions that most other countries have taken'.
He also tweeted: 'As we saw when we were asked to name a boat, the British public cannot be trusted to make sensible decisions in ordinary times let alone during a global crisis. The prime minister must lock this country down NOW, and then urgently work out how to pay for all the fallout.'
MORE: Expert asks Piers Morgan to provide 'his masters in public health' over coronavirus claims
You may also want to watch:
Rees-Mogg said: 'Commentators and the media, Michael Crick is indeed brilliant, I hear a chunter from the opposition benches, and somebody I particularly admire, one of the best journalists at keeping people to account.
'But one does not have to take every utterance from controversialists as wholly writ.
Most Read
- 1 Brexiteer Prue Leith quits Tory Party after government votes down motion to protect UK food standards
- 2 Public slams Brexit Party tweet which shames Tory MPs who voted against free school meals
- 3 Piers Morgan must expose the government's Brexit betrayal
- 4 Peers set to remove law-breaking sections of Boris Johnson's Brexit bill
- 5 Group in protest against Tory MPs who voted down free school meals targets offices with empty plates
- 6 Tory minister blames journalists for NHS Test and Trace failure as he defends Dido Harding
- 7 Michel Barnier postpones Brussels return as Brexit trade talks in London continue
- 8 Brexit shambles: A stress of our own making
- 9 Boris Johnson and Priti Patel urged to end 'attacks' on lawyers in letter by 800 legal professionals
- 10 Priti Patel set to hand private firms £28 million in government contracts to deport asylum seekers from UK
'Piers Morgan enjoys causing a row and I think frankly it'd be better to pay less attention to him rather than more and listen to the government advisers.
'But free speech is very precious and if people want to say silly things and look foolish, that will be a matter for them.'
Become a Supporter
The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.
