ITV statement on Yvette Cooper and Ed Balls interview ripped apart by furious GMB viewers: 'There's NO defence'

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has rolled out a series of measures to curb the violence, including a "standing army" to ensure anyone who participated in violent disruptions will "regret" it.

He also branded the mobs as exhibiting "outright thuggery" as mosques and hotels harbouring asylum seekers were targeted by thugs.

On Monday, Balls told his co-host Garraway that he had "genuine questions" for his wife as he explained: "I have not really seen her at all in the last week.

"When these events happen, and if you're the Prime Minister or Home Secretary, it becomes 24 hours a day seven days a week, so it's tough."

During the interview, Garraway asked if Cooper would brand the thugs who took part in the violence as "Islamophobic" while Balls asked his wife if social media companies had a responsibility to curb the spread of misinformation.

As the interview unravelled amicably, Balls also asked Cooper if there was a suggestion of a "two-tier" policing approach by authorities, to which the Home Secretary answered unchallenged.

Inevitably, cries of bias erupted from people watching at home as many felt it would be difficult to conduct an impartial interview between a presenter and politician who were spouses.

But a GMB spokesperson has defended the decision to allow Balls to interview Cooper, saying in a statement to the Guardian: "Following a weekend of rioting and national unrest, GMB featured a range of interviews and discussion around this national emergency on today’s programme which included James Cleverly, shadow home secretary, and Yvette Cooper, home secretary.

🚨 NEW: ITV's Good Morning Britain has been accused of bias as former Labour Minister Ed Balls interviewed his wife, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper earlier today pic.twitter.com/PtBad3T7Fq

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) August 5, 2024

"We are satisfied that these interviews were balanced, fair and duly impartial."

Much like the reaction to the initial interview, ITV's defence of its decision was met with several irked responses.

"There kind of isn't really a defense for this though is there," one fan criticised on X while a second echoed: "ITV well out of order here. Should never have been allowed. Have opened themselves to criticism. Crass error."

Meanwhile, a third fumed: "This sums up the elite liberal bubble in Britain perfectly."

And a fourth weighed in: "There is no defence, and this was completely out of order. @Ofcom need to act swiftly, and @ITV should be fined as a minimum."

"Pretty Balls-y move and definitely not a conflict of interest," a fifth sarcastically critiqued while a sixth hit out: "Indefensible and unnecessary frankly. The UK media and political class are already so incestuously unethical." (sic)

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The interview came following a weekend of violent clashes in towns and cities such as Hull, Liverpool, Stoke-on-Trent, Nottingham, Bristol, Manchester, Blackpool and Belfast which resulted in several police officers being injured.

On Monday, more demonstrations ensued in Plymouth and Birmingham as unrest continued.