Good Morning Britain slammed with Ofcom complaints over guest’s cruel comments about immigrants

GOOD Morning Britain has been hit with dozens of Ofcom complaints after a guest made a ‘cruel’ comment about migrants.

Seventy-one people wrote to the broadcasting regulator when political commentator Andrew Pierce referred to migrants crossing the Channel illegally as “wretched people”.

ITV

Andrew Pierce describing migrants as ‘wretched’ drew 71 complaints from GMB viewers[/caption]

Rex

Hosts Richard Madeley and Kate Garraway chaired the debate on the migrant crisis following beleaguered Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s controversial remarks that the country was ‘under invasion’.

Paraphrasing her remarks, Pierce said: “She said we’re going to get to grips with these wretched people, crossing the channel – if they’re illegal migrants – pouring across the channel.

“She talked the talk the country wants to here. A lot of people are fed up to the back teeth with it. Let’s hope Rishi Sunak lets her do it.”

His friend and political jousting partner Kevin Maguire took umbrage with the use of “wretched” as did viewers, some of which called for him to be dropped from the show.

However, others pointed out that the definition of ‘wretched’ – being ‘in a very unhappy or unfortunate state’ – was befitting of the asylum seekers’ predicament.

Yesterday it was reported that Channel crossings could hit 50,000 this year, after 46 made the perilous journey on Monday in a single boat.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick vowed to look at “radical” options to tackle small boats.

He insisted it “wasn’t obvious” the numbers would skyrocket like this – despite damning warnings over the summer it could hit a staggering 60,000 by the end of the year.

However, he refused to repeat Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s comments that the flow of boats was an “invasion” of illegal immigrants.

Mr Jenrick pointedly told the BBC “It’s not a phrase I’ve used” but said it could describe “the sheer scale of the challenge”.

And he blamed the “sheer number of migrants” who crossed the Channel in recent weeks for putting “immense pressure” on the system.

But he admitted she spoke to the “very real concerns that some members of the public feel” about the issue.

He said: “I am afraid we now have to look at some more radical options to ensure our laws are appropriate, so that economic migrants are returned swiftly and that we deter people from coming to the UK.

“The United Kingdom cannot continue to be a magnet for economic migrants. We simply do not have the infrastructure in this country to manage that.”

It came as it emerged a number of councils are seeking emergency injunctions to block the Home Office from block-booking out hotels in their areas.

Labour-run Ipswich Borough Council was given an emergency injunction to stop the four star Novotel Hotel being used to house asylum seekers, ahead of a high court clash next week.

Tory-run Stoke City Council and Great Yarmouth Councils got similar passes that threw a spanner in the works.

On Monday, another 46 migrants in a single boat crossed the Channel, according to Ministry of Defence figures.

AFP