Richard Madeley this morning slammed the Insulate Britain M25 protests as “immoral” and “ludicrous”.
Just as news of the presenter’s “Africa” gaffe was dying down, Madeley was once again trending on Twitter this morning following his comments about the climate activists.
Good Morning Britain’s discussion with business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng over the energy crisis was delayed by the breaking news that climate activists blocked both sides of the M25 near Woking.
This morning’s blockade is the fifth time Insulate Britain has blocked the motorway.
Talking over footage of the protestors attempting to stop vehicles on a high-speed section of the motorway, Madeley said: “It is absolutely chaos out there.”
Susanna Reid said: “It’s also really, really dangerous. I don’t understand - I mean, of course I understand what they’re doing, they’re part of a group which actually, ironically, is protesting in order to put pressure on the government to insulate our homes. But the point is we know the issue, we’re facing rising fuel bills, we understand."
“They’re telling us to suck eggs, aren’t they?,” Madeley interjected. “We know that homes need to be insulated, there is no argument about global warming being a man-made issue that has to be addressed urgently. Doing that is so dangerous.”
Madeley then spoke about how a woman who had a stroke while in a blocked car is now paralysed as she couldn’t get to hospital in time. Reid added that doctors said she would have been fine if she made it to hospital within 90 minutes, but she was in a queue on the blocked motorway for six hours.
Madeley passionately said: "I think it’s utterly disgusting, not a word I use very often but it’s disgusting, it’s immoral, it’s high-handed, it’s ludicrous. I don’t know how the police are allowing this to happen."
Business secretary Kwarteng then joined the programme. He said the M25 blockades are “completely unacceptable behaviour” and added that the home secretary Priti Patel is attempting to “push action on this.”
Insulate Britain blocked both lanes on the M25 near Woking this morning. @susannareid100 asks Business Secretary @KwasiKwarteng why more action isn't being taken against the protesters amid the impact it is having on people's lives.
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) September 21, 2021
Watch GMB 👉 https://t.co/6iQ6eaXdgg pic.twitter.com/F9RovoYZ4o
Madeley added: “It’s only a matter of time before, and I’m not endorsing this in any way shape or form, there’s some kind of violent incident between drivers and protestors.”
People took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on Good Morning Britain’s coverage of the protests, and the demonstrations in general:
When power commits us to destruction, our survival depends on disobedience.
— George Monbiot (@GeorgeMonbiot) September 20, 2021
For disobedience to be effective, it must be impossible to ignore.
I stand with #InsulateBritain. https://t.co/DPgQtrQ6iY
So you're telling me Insulate Britain thought making cars sit on the M25 with their engines on was effective at reducing CO2 emissions? You just made it worse than if they just drove to work.
— Grace Shelby (@s_t_o_p_i_t_) September 13, 2021
A mate is stuck in this, the irony is we are Thermal Insulation Engineers (Laggers) who have been insulating Britain for decades but can't get to work because of Insulate Britain protests pic.twitter.com/UhdybIlptc
— Redmite (@cryoeng) September 13, 2021
Im totally shocked by what those Protesters are doing, blocking M25 like that, its dangerous and is stopping people getting to work, getting supplys, dealing with Emergency's. What are they thinking of. This isnt dpoing there cause any good. @gmb @susannareid100 @richardm56
— John Horne (@johnhorneartist) September 21, 2021
Richard Madeley, going full Partridge, wants a Cobra meeting to stop handful of OAP protesters on M25. 🙄 🤭#GoodMorningBritain pic.twitter.com/90xblP1ts1
— Vox Populi 💙 🌹 🐾 (@VoxPopu07251706) September 21, 2021
More 'Insulate Britain' blocking the M25 this am FFS! Bring in the army , or resign @pritipatel .😡😡 This is killing people.😡😡
— Heather (@leckston) September 21, 2021
Madeley has previously made his feelings on the matter very clear.
Last Tuesday during a heated debate with Insulate Britain activist Liam Norton, Madeley compared the group’s actions to “fascism”.
'The ordinary people that were stuck in that traffic are in the same crisis as you and me'
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) September 14, 2021
'You're ignoring the reality of the individual.'
Richard Madeley challenges the climate activist that brought the M25 to a stand still.
Watch GMB now 👉 https://t.co/6iQ6ebeOEQ pic.twitter.com/AqzpWTf240
Last week a crash on the motorway that led to a woman being airlifted to hospital with serious injuries was blamed on activists.
Witness Steve Glenn told The Telegraph: “The cars ploughed into the back of each other. It was so blatantly obvious what had happened. The standstill traffic was caused by the protest.”
An angry motorist yesterday clashed with protestors. In the video, the motorist said he agreed it’s a good idea, but “this is not the way to do it.”
“You’re making people hate you,” he said.
This morning, police arrested 23 activists after clearing junctions nine and ten of protesters.
