{"id":92,"date":"2023-03-14T09:57:17","date_gmt":"2023-03-14T09:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/demo2.aiwalls.com\/music\/?p=92"},"modified":"2023-03-14T09:57:17","modified_gmt":"2023-03-14T09:57:17","slug":"susanna-reid-and-ed-balls-applauded-for-skewering-security-minister","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/demo2.aiwalls.com\/music\/?p=92","title":{"rendered":"Susanna Reid and Ed Balls applauded for ‘skewering’ security minister"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Susanna Reid and Ed Balls have been praised for their persistent grilling of security minister Tom Tugendhat, interrogating him over an apparent deleted tweet that he wasn\u2019t aware had disappeared from his profile.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday\u2019s Good Morning Britain, the presenters welcomed the MP onto the programme to talk about the government\u2019s defence spending, following the nuclear submarine deal made by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.<\/p>\n

Balls called out comments that Tugendhat had previously made, when the politician apparently claimed in an article that the government promising to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP (gross domestic product) wasn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n

Tugendhat insisted that he was talking about both defence and intelligence in the article, while Balls continued to question if he still stands by saying that 3% of GDP \u2018is the minimum we need\u2019, calling out their guest for \u2018resiling\u2019 from his previous statements.<\/p>\n

Balls then read out a tweet that the MP reportedly posted on July 13 last year, which read: \u2018The truth is we don\u2019t spend enough on the defence of our country. As PM, I would commit 3% of GDP to defence spending.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Is that tweet still on your Twitter account?\u2019 Balls asked, to which Tugendhat responded: \u2018God knows.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\n\"Ed\n<\/div>
Balls and Reid didn\u2019t hold back when they teamed up for the interrogation (Picture: ITV)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018You don\u2019t know. Well I can tell you it\u2019s not there, but that\u2019s what you said,\u2019 the GMB presenter stated.<\/p>\n

Reid then chimed in, as she remarked: \u2018With respect, I\u2019m just listening to the tweet, and the tweet is very clear, but I\u2019m also very interested to know whether you have deleted that tweet? Ed says you have \u2013 did you delete that tweet?\u2019<\/p>\n

The security minister replied: \u2018I\u2019m afraid I have no idea how the Twitter system works. I don\u2019t know whether it\u2019s there or not. You\u2019ll have to look.\u2019<\/p>\n

Tugendhat explained that while he publishes his own tweets, he has \u2018no idea what happens to them once they go out\u2019, adding that he doesn\u2019t personally delete his own tweets unless they contain typos.<\/p>\n

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\n\"Tom\n<\/div>
The politician admitted that he had no idea if a tweet he\u2019d posted had been deleted (Picture: ITV)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018So why would that have been deleted? Was it because it was wrong? Or for some other reason?\u2019 Reid asked.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m afraid I have absolutely no idea, I don\u2019t delete those tweets,\u2019 he maintained.<\/p>\n

The presenter then said: \u2018That\u2019s really interesting because you\u2019re security minister at the Home Office, I\u2019m just interested to know\u2026 social media is a risky place as we know. Someone\u2019s deleted that tweet for a reason.\u2019<\/p>\n

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@TomTugendhat<\/a> What a complete embarrassment this man is when being interviewed on @GMB<\/a> NOT EVEN A COMPETENT LIAR!<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jonathan Barry (@5174Jonathan) March 14, 2023<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

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Brilliant interview by @edballs<\/a> on @GMB<\/a> with Tom Tugendhat.
Tied him up in knots about his stance on defence spending and the take down on his deleted tweet was hilarious.
Well done Ed.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Steve Emm (@StevieEmmm) March 14, 2023<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

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@TomTugendhat<\/a> being caught out on @GMB<\/a> re a tweet of his that has now been deleted<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no idea how the twitter system works, I have no idea if the tweet is there or it is not\u201d<\/p>\n

Smiling & laughing the whole way through, the body language is very telling. Well done @edballs<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Dean \u00f0\u009f\u008f\u00b3\u00ef\u00b8\u008f\u00e2\u0080\u008d\u00f0\u009f\u008c\u0088\u00f0\u009f\u0087\u00aa\u00f0\u009f\u0087\u00ba #GTTO #FBPE (@deanbegley1) March 14, 2023<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Tugendhat said he felt \u2018very lucky\u2019 to have a team of people who work in his office, before speculating whether a programme may have been used which deleted the tweet in question.<\/p>\n

Several GMB viewers applauded the presenting duo for their tenacious line of questioning, as one said: \u2018Brilliant from @edballs & on @GMB. Tearing @TomTugendhat apart regarding his lies about defence spending.\u2019<\/p>\n