‘You’re downgrading this’: Richard Madeley clashes with Transport Secretary over air traffic control failure

Richard Madeley accused Transport SecretaryMark Harper of “downgrading” the UK’s air traffic control failure in a heated exchange on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday.

Madeley was annoyed after Harper said a failure of this nature had not occurred for over a decade, as he said this was little comfort to the thousands of people stranded. Madeley then listed other failures that had occurred in previous years.

He said: “Can you not accept that people watching this, if they're not going to the airport because their flight has been cancelled or they're stuck in an airport, their hearts will sink when they hear you trying to downgrade this?”