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Nick Clegg has launched into an attack on Piers Morgan after the presenter questioned his decision to raise tuition fees despite pledging not to do so.
The former Deputy Prime Minister became visibly infuriated and branded the Good Morning Britain presenter “pompous” after he challenged his broken promise over tuition fees.
The Lib Dems faced heavy criticism after they abandoned their flagship pledge to oppose any increase in tuition fees and restore free education. Performing a drastic U-turn, the cap on fees was trebled from £3000 to £9000 under the coalition.
The awkward row on Good Morning Britain erupted after Morgan said: “A lot of students would look at you and think that was a pretty cynical move to promise the end of tuition fees and then treble them.
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious PhrasesShow all 20 1 /20Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “I want to interview the most important people in the world and have everyone in America the next day going, 'Did you see that?'” On Piers Morgan Live, which just got axed.
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “Most of the men that sue in Hollywood are all about 5' 2“. They wake up every day, know they're tiny and feel very angry about it, so they go out and sue people.”
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “It was pretty compelling to watch, pretty weird, and it made me gag a few times.” – in his role as Britain’s Got Talent judge
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “I'm guilt-ridden about introducing her to Paul McCartney. It was a moment of Cupid madness which cost Sir Paul $50 million, so the least I can do is ban her from the show.” - On banning Heather Mills from Piers Morgan Tonight
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “Bill O'Reilly is like a comfortable pair of shimmeringly angry slippers, but you know every night what you're going to get.” – On Bill O’Reilly
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “Why do we want someone like Ruth Kelly controlling our children? She's the scariest woman I've ever seen in politics.” - On the British Education Secretary in 2005
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “You're an unbeleivably stupid man, aren't you?” Interviewing gun-rights activist Larry Pratt
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “There is a type of snobbish, pompous journalist who thinks that the only news that has any validity is war, famine, pestilence or politics. I don't come from that school.”
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “To all the ignorant, bigoted transgender community members continuing to abuse me re @janetmock - I'm bored of you now, go away. Thanks.” - On interviewing transgender activist Janet Mock
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “I have kind of an edge in me, which will be a little bit different for that time slot but probably necessary to combat the O'Reillys and so on who are making all the noise.”
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases "Everyone's worst ever Christmas sweater > Team USA uniforms. #RalphLauren #Sochi #OpeningCeremony" - Tweeting ahead of Sochi Olympics... And wondering why he's not that popular in the US.
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases "To reiterate, I have never hacked a phone, told anyone to hack a phone, nor to my knowledge published any story obtained from the hacking of a phone." - Defending himself against fresh phone-hacking allegations.
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases "Anything to do with my kids really is the only thing that gets to me. It's the most difficult thing about the job, unquestionably. It's been the most difficult thing to sacrifice." - On not realising he was the editor of The Mirror once and how hypocritical this therefore sounds.
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases "I wonder if poor old Jeremy Clarkson's little hissy fit today is connected to Top Gear's disintegrating ratings & rumours it may be axed?" - Embarrassing in hindsight, during a Twitter spat with Jeremy Clarkson.
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases "I never realised how endlessly entertaining Twitter would turn out to be. Oh, the joy when I realised you could tweet Manchester United stars personally, ridiculing them for everything from their dodgy haircuts to offensive swimwear. And even more delicious when they began firing back like enraged Rambos on acid." - On his social media addiction.
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases "I do blame people. Where were all the people making money out of her when it mattered? Really, where were they? You know, it's just not good enough and they're all going to make millions out of it now she's dead. You know, the album Back to Black is number one… but people let her down." - On passing the blame on from the pressures of the tabloid press for Amy Winehouse's death.
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases “Absolutely nobody in the entire United States of America has even a modicum of interest in who I am, but I’m determined to change that." - On what he tried - and failed - to do in the US.
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases "I fear I am now a victim of 'cisphobia'." - Piers Morgan combats being called 'transphobic' after sensationalised Janet Mock interview... By being massively transphobic.
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases "@GaryLinekar_ Did you ever actually tackle anyone?" - To which Linekar replied, "Nope never hacked anyone".
Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases Piers Morgan's Most Pretentious Phrases "If I wanted a lesson on physical appearance I'd go to @evalongoria not Shrek's ugly brother" - Arguing with Rio Ferdinand on Twitter. Again.
“But I will take you at your word that you are a bastion of non-cynicism in an otherwise cesspit of cynicism in Westminster. Thank god you’re here.”
Appearing shocked, the former Lib Dem leader then tutted and muttered “what an extraordinary man” under his breath.
He added: “You are so pompous Piers, you really are”.
Morgan, the US Mail Online editor, snapped back: ”What's pompous about that? It wasn't me who trebled tuition fees.“
Mr Clegg then went on BBC Radio 4's Today p rogramme, where he said Theresa May deserved the leaks which recently emerged about her Brexit talks.
He said: ”Don't feel sorry for Theresa May...she briefed against me furiously in the Home Office“.
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