GMB Showdown: Susanna Reid Grills Stammering Labour Minister Into Public Apology

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander found herself in the hot seat on Good Morning Britain, as presenters Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid gave her a tough time over two issues hitting Brits hard – the country’s crumbling roads and the recent chaos at Heathrow Airport.

Appearing on Monday’s show, the 49-year-old Labour MP was there to talk about the government’s £1.6 billion pledge to fix potholes – a problem that drivers across the UK know all too well. With local councils set to get their slice of the funding from April, the Department for Transport reckons it’ll be enough to fill around seven million potholes a year, reported the Express.

But Richard Madeley wasn’t letting her off lightly. He cut straight to the point, asking why road tax doesn’t go directly towards sorting out potholes – something most motorists would probably assume. Alexander admitted Britain’s roads have been “plaguing” the country and blamed the previous government for failing to act.

“Over the last decade, the Conservative government didn’t prioritize this. We have the nation’s roads in a real state, they became a symbol of decline. Within six or seven months of us taking office, we made this issue a priority,” she said. But that didn’t really answer the question, and Susanna Reid wasn’t having it. “I don’t think that’s the answer to Richard’s question,” she pointed out, prompting a quick apology from Alexander.

Reid asked again, more directly, about road tax and where it goes. This time, Alexander replied: “Generally as a government we don’t hypothecate taxation. There are a whole set of different issues and we collect taxes, raise money and then we work out how to allocate those resources.”

In other words, road tax doesn’t specifically fund road repairs – something that may come as a surprise to drivers already feeling short-changed.

She did go on to highlight that the new funding is “significantly more than the last government were spending on road repairs” and stressed how vital it is to have safe, reliable roads.

The conversation then shifted to Heathrow Airport, which had been forced to close after a fire caused a major power failure. The shutdown sparked global travel chaos, with thousands of passengers stranded and flights grounded at Europe’s busiest airport.

While Alexander acknowledged the disruption, it was clear the pothole debate had already set the tone – and viewers watching at home could tell she was on the defensive from the start.