Good Morning Britain fans were left up in arms over “uncomfortable and unacceptable” interview as Susanna Reid grilled Yvette Cooper on the government tightening asylum rules. During Tuesday’s visit (April 29) to the ITV studios, Ed Balls and Susanna Reid woke up the nation with the biggest stories hitting the headlines. This included the appointment of Canada’s new Prime Minister and the latest campaigns against the Supreme Court gender ruling.

Later on in the show, the former politician, 58, was noticeably absent from the panel when Susanna welcomed his wife Yvette Cooper onto the show for a heated interview about the government tightening asylum rules. She began: “A lot of people are criticising you this morning for saying that this is a rushed piece of legislation and it is simply a policitcal electioneering because we’re in a week of local elections where you face a massive challenge from Reform.

And Reform’s policy is to get the UK out of the European Convention of Human Rights. If you start going down the road but admit that in hugely serious cases you can still not deport people that many of your voters think should have been chucked out years ago because of ECHR, don’t you open up the risk of people saying, ‘Just get out of the ECHR’.”

The Home Secretary replied: “The first thing is, I think it is right to strengthen the law because this is a law that we inherited after 14 years of a Conservative government and they haven’t done so.

“Secondly, we are increasing deportations and removals within international law. Everybody’s always said, ‘Oh, it’s because of international law, we can’t increase removals and deportations’.

“Well, we’re doing it already, we’ve had a more than 20% increase in enforced returns since the election simply by taking this issue seriously, simply by putting the resources in place to be able to do that and to take the action we need, so we’ll continue to do that.”

Susanna added: “So, one final point on the ECHR, because as I say, if you’re moving towards Reform on issues of asylum and this kind of popularist policy, and it will be popular I’m sure.

“Would you ever move to a place where you say it would be legitimate for the UK to come out of the European Convention of Human Rights, which would enable us then to pretty obnovious criminals? Or are you absolutely committed to staying in a non-balanced and think it’s a good thing for the UK to be a part of it?”

She replied: “Well we abide by international law and the reason we do so it, the international law helps us get all kinds of agreements with other countries, including return agreements.

“So abiding by international law helps get those return agreements in place, it also helps us with everything ranging from the Good Friday agreement to issues around security cooperation and intelligence sharing.

“So there’s a whole series of areas including our strength and cooperation with France on preventing illegal migration where actually abiding by international law actually helps us.

“Within international law we can take action to strengthen UK law including increasing deportations and removals. People have been using international law as an excuse whereas actually we should be taking the action that we need.” It didn’t take long before fans flooded to X – formerly known as Twitter – to share their thoughts online.

One user penned: “Absolute car crash interview. Cooper has no idea and can’t answer the questions. Reid is asking her specific questions, and all she seems to be doing is blaming the Tories for everything #GMB.”

Another agreed: “She answered nothing…” while a third echoed: “She talked nonsense.” Meanwhile, others pointed out the contention between the MP and her husband Ed Balls who was noticeably absent for the interview.

One account added: “It’s still uncomfortable and even unacceptable to interview Yvette Cooper on #GMB when we the viewers know her husband is sitting alongside Susanna. #ITV.”

Another wrote: “Susanna Reid is interviewing the home secretary on #GMB right now and is having to ask all the questions herself, because her co-host happens to be the Home Secretary’s husband.”

A third fumed: “@gmb another morning when the Home Secretary #YvetteCooper comes ontot ehs how and receives an easy ride because her husband #EdBalls is co-presenter.”

Good Morning Britain airs on weekdays from 6am on ITV1 or catch up on ITVX.