GMB Chaos: Susanna Reid Abruptly Cuts Off Interview After Star Is Branded ‘Vile’ in Fiery Winter Fuel Debate

Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid was forced to step in during a heated exchange between Kevin Maguire and Andrew Pierce, following an interview with Labour leader Keir Starmer. The intense debate unfolded as Reid and her co-host Richard Madeley discussed Starmer’s comments with the two newspaper editors.

The tension arose after Rachel Reeves announced in July that the universal winter fuel payment for pensioners, worth between £100 and £300 per year, would be restricted to those receiving pension credit. During the interview, Starmer defended the controversial cut, worth approximately £1.3 billion, stating that it was necessary to help close the £22 billion “black hole” in the budget left by the previous Conservative government, told Daily Express.

Andrew Pierce was quick to criticize Starmer, saying, “It made him look arrogant, and now he’s flown off to New York thinking about something else. He’s not thinking about pensioners.”

Reid also pressed Starmer during the interview, questioning why the Labour Party hadn’t redirected billions allocated for Ukraine and foreign aid back to the UK instead of cutting from pensioners.

Pierce supported this viewpoint, calling it “a no-brainer.” He argued, “I would cut the international aid budget at a stroke to save that £1.3 billion for pensioners’ winter fuel payments.” Pierce further criticized foreign aid, claiming much of it is “squandered on wasteful projects” with “very little control” over how it’s spent.

Kevin Maguire, however, disagreed sharply, calling Pierce’s argument “a false choice.” He insisted that supporting Ukraine and helping the world’s poorest should not come at the cost of pensioners. “You can support Ukraine for security reasons, and you can still have a winter fuel allowance,” Maguire stated.

Pierce fired back, accusing the government of “picking the pockets of pensioners” while continuing to send billions of pounds to foreign countries. This prompted a fiery response from Maguire, who called Pierce’s remark “vile.”

As the debate intensified, Pierce retorted, “The priority of this government should be people here.” He pointed at Maguire, adding, “But no, his priority is giving money overseas.”

Maguire countered that Starmer would have come across better had he apologized for the winter fuel payment cuts. Pierce then asserted, “If you told your viewers to cut £1 billion from foreign aid to give to pensioners’ winter fuel, they would vote 99 percent in favor.”

Maguire scoffed at the claim, responding, “Oh come off it, no they wouldn’t.” With tensions rising, Susanna Reid was forced to intervene, cutting the heated debate short. “Kevin, Andrew, there we must leave it!” she declared, bringing the conversation to an abrupt end.

The clash highlighted the growing division over the government’s financial priorities, with both sides fiercely defending their views on how best to allocate funds during a time of economic strain.