Peter Stefanovic clashed with Boris Johnson’s biographer on Good Morning Britain today after Andrew Gimson suggested a certain degree of truth-twisting is par for the course in politics.
The lawyer’s viral video – which has now amassed over 25 million views – was a hot topic on the show as Alastair Campbell joined Susanna Reid as co-presenter.
Stefanovic said the “astonishing reaction” to his film shows that the public does care about the “rampant lying” in parliament, with the video becoming a public protest at the outright lies we are being told.
But Johnson’s biographer, Gimson, seemed nonplussed about the truth-twisting, suggesting it is part and parcel in modern politics.
“Anyone that took Boris Johnson’s assurances at face value wanted to be deceived,” he said, before saying there are new expressions and words for lies.
But the British public were not happy with his response.
Julianne Regan tweeted: “This myth that we, the public. don’t care about lies is just that, a myth. We care.”
While David Ware said he was “shocked and appalled by the comments of Gimson justifying the lies and deceit of Johnson. The UK public deserves better!”
Earlier this year Stefanovic told The London Economic that the prime minster has driven a cart and horses through the ministerial code and put democracy “at risk” by “telling barefaced lies to Parliament”.
He said: “I think we’re losing something very precious as a result of this prime minister who has crossed the line from what was vaguely acceptable to what is completely unacceptable now.
“If the guy at the top plays fast and loose with the truth, then those below him become emboldened to do the same.”
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