Grant Shapps claims he’ll miss being interviewed by Piers Morgan on GMB

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has claimed he’ll ‘miss’ Piers Morgan’s interviews on Good Morning Britain – despite the presenter’s history of explosive rows with cabinet ministers.

Speaking to Sky News this morning, Mr Shapps insisted the controversial journalist gave ‘a very tough but usually quite fair interview’.

He refused to be drawn into discussing Mr Morgan’s remarks that he ‘does not believe’ Meghan Markle had suicidal thoughts during her time as a senior royal – despite him being slammed for ‘diabolical behaviour’ as 41,000 complaints were made to ITV.

When questioned on the GMB host’s step down, Mr Shapps said: ‘Putting the issue aside of what he was actually talking about, I’ll miss the interviews with him.

‘I would have been doing one in half an hour or whatever time I’m on Good Morning Britain this morning.

‘Personally, I always thought he gave a very tough, but usually quite fair interview. As with all interviewers, if you actually answered the question, you tended to have an okay ride with it.

‘If you didn’t know the answer, just say “look I don’t know”. Or if you do know, you’d give the facts.’

Mr Morgan was known for savaging cabinet ministers as he tried to hold them to account for their actions during the Covid pandemic.

During a clash over breaking the law on PPE contracts in February, Health Secretary Matt Hancock asked: ‘As soon as I start answering a question you cut in… What’s the point in coming on if you are not going to allow me to answer the question?’

Speaking today, Mr Shapps added: ‘Personally, I’ll miss him on there. I wasn’t going to get into the details of the argument, one way or another with regards to Meghan though – that’s a different matter.’

When questioned on why he would not offer his thoughts on the scandal, the Tory politician insisted ‘cabinet ministers don’t comment on Royal Family matters like this’.

He said: ‘First of all, mental health is incredibly important and particularly during this pandemic even more so.

‘There are two things here really. First of all, there’s a longstanding, and I think very good convention, that cabinet ministers don’t comment on Royal Family matters like this.

‘I think we’re very lucky to have the Queen who has her platinum jubilee next year, 70 years on the throne.

‘But the rest of this wider story – I know you will have discussed at length, people will have seen the interview and statement from the palace – I don’t think it adds anything to have a cabinet minister get embroiled in that.

‘Secondly, you’re asking me, not only to judge that, but to judge somebody else’s comments about it, and that drags me right into that territory.

‘On mental health itself, the Government has put another £70 million into addressing some of the very serious mental health issues that I think arise, not least, from this pandemic – being stuck at home has been very, very punishing physically but also mentally for people.

‘I think recognising the strains and stresses of mental health, outside of that particular story royal story are very important indeed.’

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