News
Harry Fletcher
Jun 22, 2022
BBC
RMT-General Secretary Mick Lynch has been doing the media rounds over recent days to discuss the rail strikes taking place this week, and he’s taken absolutely no prisoners during that time.
During appearances on BBC News, Sky News and ITV, he’s batted away questions targeting his own personal political affiliations, as well as taking Tory MPs head on – and calling out their ‘outright lies’, as he saw them.
A compilation of his interviews and public appearances has been put together by YouTube user M.J. Nicholls.
The first came during a remote visit to the Good Morning Britain studio, where he accused Richard Madeley of spouting “twaddle”.
“Richard, you do come up with the most remarkable twaddle sometimes,” he said, after being asked if he was a Marxist.
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Then there came an abrasive exchange between Lynch and Chris Philp on Newsnight, which saw him accuse the Tory MP of '"lying" and being a "liar" a grand today of 16 times.
Mick Lynch vs The Mediawww.youtube.com
It began after Philp claimed: ″Mick Lynch has previously said he would not negotiate with a Tory government."
Lynch said Philp was telling "a direct lie" and claimed he would “absolutely” be prepared to negotiate with a Tory government.
Then, appearing on Politics Live, the union boss said another Tory MP, Jonathan Gullis, was "talking nonsense" when he spoke about negotiations to modernise the rail industry and argued Lynch "should apologise" for the disruption the strikes are causing.
He also questioned Kay Burley’s line of questioning of the nature of RMT workers picketing during an interview with Sky News, saying: “Your questions are verging into the nonsense.”
Lynch then told Baroness Chapman "I don't even know who you are" during an interview with Politics Live about the ongoing strikes.
The Labour front-bencher hit back by saying: "Well...there you go...so don't tell me I'm not working-class or whatever."
\u201cMick Lynch of the RMT says funding cuts made by a "government of billionaires" are to blame for rail strikes - accusing ministers of 'telling everyone else they've got to tighten their belts while they're raking it in'.\n\nLive: https://t.co/RbM7anaJHc\n\n\ud83d\udcfa Sky 501 and YouTube\u201d— Sky News (@Sky News) 1655738211
But it appeared Lynch wasn't having it as he volleyed back, "I didn't tell you you weren't working-class...I don't even know your name."
He then clarified he didn't know her name because he was in a remote studio and couldn't see anyone on-screen.
It comes as some 40,000 railway workers are striking for three days this week in what is the largest walkout seen in the UK for more than 30 years. The union wants a 7 per cent pay rise and has rejected an offer of 2 per cent with a further 1 per cent tied to job cuts.
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