RMT rail strike interview gives conservatives another thing to be angry about – a coat

There are many injustices and crises in the world right now which rightly provoke outrage among the general public. Foodbank usage, the war in Ukraine, the cost-of-living crisis, to name but three examples.

Yet, as rail unions RMT and ASLEF continue to strike and demand new pay deals for their members, conservatives frustrated with the travel disruption and cancelled plans have found something else to be annoyed about amid the ongoing disputes.

A coat.

Yes, really.

It comes after Gaz Jackson, RMT regional organiser for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, gave an interview to GB News on Tuesday and said: “We want a resolution to this dispute. Our workers are determined to make sure we can have a safe and accessible railway.

“We want job security, we want decent terms and conditions and a substantial pay rise for our membership.”

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Yet regardless of the main issue at hand – the unions vs rail operators, and wherever you might stand on the issue – viewers of the controversial right-wing news channel weren’t too pleased with Gaz’s decision to wear a coat from The North Face.

Even if, as reporter Anna Riley would point out at the start of her live interview from Leeds City Station, the two of them had moved away from the picket line to get a “little bit of shelter from the rain”.

One tweet, from a user known only as ‘Barry’, went viral this week when he groaned: “Standing there in a £390 coat isn’t helping a cause about striking for pay rises.”

Well, aside from the fact The North Face’s official website actually lists the coat as costing £360, Twitter users were quick to point out just how “childish” Barry’s comment is.

“The most childish comment I’ve seen in a long time. Utterly and totally pathetic,” wrote one.

Another replied: “Bazza telling us he cares more about a rail worker on strike wearing a £300 coat than he does about being governed by millionaires and billionaires telling us all that £45k a year is a wonderful wage. Well done, Baz.”

“’Essential workers shouldn’t be paid enough to afford high quality winter clothing’ is a hell of a take,” remarked a third.

It’s almost as if people should be allowed to have a disposable income and buy things which improve their quality of life without judgement from others…

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