Mick Lynch was accused of “trying to destroy people’s Christmas” on Good Morning Britain this morning.

As hosts Kate Garraway and Martin Lewis discussed the ongoing rail strikes with guests Andrew Pierce and Kevin Maguire, Pierce said the rail workers had lost public sympathy and went on to brand the general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) “Mick Grinch”.

The first of two 48-hour strikes at Network Rail and 14 train companies began yesterday after members of the RMT rejected a pay offer.

Addressing the issue, Martin Lewis said: “The problem that you have from both sides is if you give below inflation pay rises and prices continue to go up, the gap between what people earned and what they are now earning in real terms continues to grow.

“At some point, how do you catch that back up?”

 

Kate Garraway added that the strikes seemed to be “at a bit of a tipping point”, saying there were “PR attacks” being launched from “Those that want to stop the strikes in government”.

The Good Morning Britain presenter added that it seemed the public was still mainly in support of the striking workers.

Guest Andrew Pierce, a GB News host and Daily Mail writer, disagreed, disagreeing that the “sympathy is with the rail workers”.

He said: “I still take the view that in November he (Mick Lynch) said on this programme he was not going to ruin peoples Christmases, and he is now, Mick Grinch, trying to destroy people’s Christmases.”

Referring to a controversial interview between Richard Madeley and Lynch on the programme yesterday, Pierce said the union leader had “lost the plot”.

In a heated exchange, Madeley accused the RMT of “robbing” hospitality workers of their income as many may have no means of transport to reach venues.

Lynch replied: “Well we’re not targeting Christmas, it isn’t Christmas yet Richard, I don’t know when your Christmas starts but mine starts on Christmas Eve so we are striking at this time because we have not got a settlement.”

Madeley replied by accusing Lynch of being “disingenuous” and said that “commercial Christmas” started at the beginning of December.

 

Lynch rejected this claim and asked to finish the question before Madeley continued to speak over the union leader.

“Richard, you’re just talking to yourself, you’re ranting. Richard you’re ranting”, said Lynch.

He added: “Right, have you finished then because you’re just ranting now."