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Wales Online
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Scott Edwards

Piers Morgan rants at Matt Hancock after 'Daniel Rashford' gaffe

Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan launched a lengthy attack on Health Secretary Matt Hancock live on air alongside Susanna Reid.

It comes after Mr Hancock mistakenly called Marcus Rashford “Daniel Rashford”.

Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford led a campaign to extend the children’s food voucher scheme into the summer holidays, which forced a change in policy with a £120 million fund to feed 1.3 million children in England over the six-week break.

And Susanna revealed today it was the 50th day since the government decided to "boycott" GMB.

Piers and Susanna began scrutinising Mr Hancock after they re-aired an interview the duo did with him back on March 3.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock during a media briefing in Downing Street (PA)

In the interview, Mr Hancock is quizzed on what is safe and what isn't in terms of air travel to hand shaking.

The information Mr Hancock gave at the time was starkly different to advice the government would change three weeks later when the country went into lockdown.

Piers then went on to air a clip from an interview Hancock did with Sky News where the Mr Hancock called Marcus Rashford, Daniel Rashford.

The England footballer's campaign is gaining momentum (PA)

The government u-turned on a decision to postpone free school meals throughout the summer after the England and Manchester United forward campaigned to MPs and on social media to get the £120m scheme which will help 1.3 million children who rely on the meals.

"Daniel Rashford, that famous footballer.", remarked Piers.

"This is the same Matt Hancock who was very big on footballers. Oh. He wanted them to do their bit, do you remember?", he added.

After a lengthy pause, GMB producers finally found the clip of Hancock calling for footballers to "make a contribution" to the NHS.

Piers points a finger at the camera during his rant towards Matt Hancock on Good Morning Britain (GMB \ ITV)

"Daniel Rashford, that famous footballer", remarked Piers.

"This is the same Matt Hancock who was very big on footballers. Oh. He wanted them to do their bit, do you remember?", he added.

After a lengthy pause, GMB producers finally found the clip of Mr Hancock calling for footballers to "make a contribution" to the NHS.

"You're the guy the one with the brass neck to stand there and lecture footballers about doing their bit. Well Marcus Rashford - his name's Marcus, not Daniel - he's done his bit. When are you going to do yours?"

Marcus Rashford later went on to call Piers and Susanna live on Good Morning Britain to discuss his plans for the future and helping kids who go hungry as well as his conversation with Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.

Mr Hancock has apologised for the blunder he made on Sky News this morning, and said he may have had “Harry Potter on the mind” when he mistakenly praised “Daniel Rashford” for his work on free school meals.

Denying that the Government made an embarrassing U-turn on the subject, Mr Hancock told Sky News on Wednesday morning: ““Righty-ho, I will tell you what happened, the Prime Minister talked to Daniel Rashford, he considered it and made his decision – I think it’s terrific.”

The minister later told radio station LBC that his child’s fondness for the JK Rowling novels may have been to blame and “maybe I had Harry Potter on the mind”.

Harry Potter was played by Daniel Radcliffe in the movie adaptions of the popular books.

GMB airs on ITV every weekday from 6am.

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