GB News halted for 'breaking news' alert in most humiliating blow to Rachel Reeves yet

GB News Breakfast show with Ellie Costello and Stephen Dixon returned on Thursday as the show was interrupted for a breaking news alert. It comes after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said the UK economy grew slightly in August. But in a humiliating blow to Rachel Reeves, who is reportedly set to increase taxes in the Autumn Budget, the welcoming news of economy growth is anything but, according to one MP. The UK economy is slowing down. GDP grew 0.3 per cent in the three months to August. Official data shows the economy grew by 0.1 per cent in the month of August after dipping in July. As ever, services propped up Britain, growing by 0.4 per cent, while the production sector shrank by 0.3 per cent, according to Office for National Statistics data.

GB News host Ellie called out the chancellor, who she claimed blamed the results on the Conservatives and Brexit. As the show cut to a breaking news announcement on the state of the UK economy, Ellie commented: "The chancellor was blaming Brexit, the Tories, austerity, for the dire state of the economy." Speaking to Conservatives Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Mel Stride, she questioned: "How do you respond to that?"

The Tory MP argued that the current dire state of the economy is the result of the government's decisions, countering Reeves' claim that Brexit and the Conservatives are to blame.

"The chancellor will blame absolutely everybody," he remarked, "except herself."

Stride continued: "Look it was this government's choices that have caused the problem. They said in the run up to the General Election they would go for growth. They wouldn't be taxing everybody left, right and centre.

"They whacked £25bn of tax increases on employers which killed growth. They talked down the economy. Borrowed a lot of money, spent a lot of money."

He added: "She's stoked inflation. We've got the highest in the G7 which has led to interest rates being higher."

Stride argued Labour are adding to their "colossal mountain of debt" and blasted Reeves' for not having a "backbone".

"That's why you have a government coming back for yet more tax increases at the November," he commented.

The Conservative minister that the only option is for the government to get a grip on national spending.

He added: "That is what the chancellor should be doing but she doesn't have the backbone or the plan to do it."

Viewers reacted to Stride's remarks as some defended Reeves' position.

One wrote: "Classic politics everyone pointing fingers while the economy sinks. The Chancellor blames the Tories, the Tories blame Labour, and nobody takes responsibility. Decades of incompetence from both sides got us here. The UK's not 'resilient,' it's broken."

Another echoed: "The blame goes to all politicians who have been in charge over the last 50 years, the blame also lays with us, the public, the public will not vote for anyone willing to tackle the overspending we do, everybody always wants more and more and votes for whoever promises the most."

While another claimed: "Reeves need to look in the mirror for the person to blame for the current dire state of the economy!"

A fourth said: "@Conservatives are to blame, come on. 14 years vs just over 1."