Brits have rushed to Mishal Husain

Brits have rushed to Mishal Husain’s defence after ‘boorish and arrogant’ RMT boss Mick Lynch accused her of ‘parroting’ right-wing ‘propaganda’.

Fans took to Twitter to rally behind the newsreader for ‘doing her job’ after the railway union leader objected to her line of questioning this morning on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

The listeners alleged Mr Lynch is not helping his union’s case by being ‘aggressive and unpleasant’ during his ‘perfectly proper interview’ with Ms Husain.

The heated exchange came as a month of planned walkouts began today, with RMT members staging their first wave of 48-hour strikes amid a cold snap continuing to grip the UK. 

Brits have rushed to Mishal Husain's defence after 'boorish and arrogant' RMT boss Mick Lynch accused her of 'parroting' right-wing 'propaganda'

Brits have rushed to Mishal Husain's defence after 'boorish and arrogant' RMT boss Mick Lynch accused her of 'parroting' right-wing 'propaganda'

Brits have rushed to Mishal Husain’s defence after ‘boorish and arrogant’ RMT boss Mick Lynch accused her of ‘parroting’ right-wing ‘propaganda’ 

Fans took to Twitter to rally behind the newsreader for 'doing her job' after Mick Lynch objected to her line of questioning this morning on BBC Radio 4's Today programme

Fans took to Twitter to rally behind the newsreader for 'doing her job' after Mick Lynch objected to her line of questioning this morning on BBC Radio 4's Today programme

Fans took to Twitter to rally behind the newsreader for ‘doing her job’ after Mick Lynch objected to her line of questioning this morning on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme

Mr Lynch and Ms Husain shared a fiery exchange on the programme, where he accused the presenter of repeating Government ‘propaganda’ after objecting to her line of questioning.  

Ms Husain pointed to figures showing that 63 per cent of RMT members who voted chose to reject a pay offer yesterday compared to 91 per cent at an earlier ballot in November. 

‘It seems that backing for strikes among the membership is falling – do you accept that?’ the presenter said. 

Mr Lynch replied: ‘Well that’s what the government and Network Rail are telling you and you’re prepared to push that line because they’re telling you too.  

‘You’re just parroting the most right-wing stuff that you can get hold of on behalf of the establishment.’ 

He added: ‘What I do find annoying, Mishal, is that you take these lines that are taken from the propaganda of the other side…

‘You never seem to take an impartial view on the way this society is balanced at the moment and the complete lack of distribution of wealth in this society, you just seem to punt out what you get from the employers and the government.’

Ms Husain, who remained calm throughout the exchange, said at the end of the interview: ‘They’re called questions.’ 

Since the altercation, several Brits took to social media to criticise the RMT general secretary for getting 'rattled' during the interview

Since the altercation, several Brits took to social media to criticise the RMT general secretary for getting 'rattled' during the interview

Since the altercation, several Brits took to social media to criticise the RMT general secretary for getting ‘rattled’ during the interview

Since the altercation, several Brits took to social media to criticise the RMT general secretary for getting ‘rattled’ during the interview. 

‘Mick Lynch slates @MishalHusain for not letting him answer questions then refuses to let her ask any he doesn’t like,’ tweeted Shelagh Fogarty.

‘Bad form for a man usually so good at it. Now claiming she/theBBC never covers difficulties of cost of living crisis which is BS.’

Criminal barrister Anna Soubry echoed: ‘Mick Lynch doing himself and his members no favours by being aggressive & unpleasant during a perfectly proper interview with @MishalHusain on #Today.

‘”They’re called questions” says Husain who is doing her job.’

‘Really not clear why Mike Lynch thinks his combative response to Mishal Husain’s perfectly reasonable questions is going to garner sympathy,’ asked user @elizabeth__db.

‘He sounds like a unionist extremist and it’s terrible. #r4today (“They’re called questions.” – GO MISHAL!!)

Mary Whitehouse said: ‘I’m normally really impressed with Mick Lynch’s media interviews but he’s being really boorish and arrogant with @MishalHusain on @BBCr4today.’

‘Is @MickLynch4AGS getting rattled?’ questioned Ed Owen. ‘Ridiculously stroppy approach to fair questions being posed by @MishalHusain.’

‘Astonishing exchange there between @MishalHusain and the RMT’s Mick Lynch,’ echoed Matthew Garrahan. 

‘She deserves credit for not responding to the insults she received for asking a reasonable question.’

Sarah Vine added: ‘Kudos to @MishalHusain for the way she handled this. What a bully, attacking her on such a personal level and questioning her integrity in order to avoid being held to account.’

RMT union baron Mike Lynch was out on a picket line as another round of rail strikes begin 

Rail workers hold banners and union flags during the strike over pay, job security and working conditions outside the Ashford International railway station in Kent today

Rail workers hold banners and union flags during the strike over pay, job security and working conditions outside the Ashford International railway station in Kent today

Rail workers hold banners and union flags during the strike over pay, job security and working conditions outside the Ashford International railway station in Kent today

Mr Lynch also lost his cool when he was told to ‘jog on’ by Good Morning Britain‘s Richard Madeley this morning.

Mr Madeley put it to Mr Lynch that the rail strikes were targeting people at Christmas and could put hoteliers, restauranteur and retailers out of business during a normally busy time of year.

The union boss, speaking from a picket line in London, replied: ‘We’re not targeting Christmas, it isn’t Christmas yet, Richard, I don’t know when your Christmas starts but mine starts on Christmas Eve.’

Mr Madeley branded that statement as ‘disingenuous’, adding: ‘Commercial Christmas starts in December, you know that.’

As the pair spoke over each other, Mr Lynch said: ‘Richard, why don’t you just interview yourself?’

He later added: ‘I have no intention of spoiling people’s Christmas. The Government is contributing to that spoiling of the people’s Christmas because they’ve brought these strikes on by stopping the companies from making suitable proposals.

‘That’s the position that we’re in and we’ll have to keep this dispute going until we get a reasonable settlement and a reasonable set of proposals that our members want to accept.’

At one point during the exchange, Mr Madeley told Mr Lynch to ‘jog on’.  

The heated exchanges came as up to 40,000 railway workers who belong to the union are pressing ahead with two 48-hour strikes at Network Rail - and 14 train companies - from Tuesday and Friday

The heated exchanges came as up to 40,000 railway workers who belong to the union are pressing ahead with two 48-hour strikes at Network Rail - and 14 train companies - from Tuesday and Friday

The heated exchanges came as up to 40,000 railway workers who belong to the union are pressing ahead with two 48-hour strikes at Network Rail – and 14 train companies – from Tuesday and Friday

December's 'Calendar of Chaos' with strikes happening across several sectors

December's 'Calendar of Chaos' with strikes happening across several sectors

December’s ‘Calendar of Chaos’ with strikes happening across several sectors 

Official figures published this morning found that the number of working days lost to strikes last month reached the highest in more than a decade

Official figures published this morning found that the number of working days lost to strikes last month reached the highest in more than a decade

Official figures published this morning found that the number of working days lost to strikes last month reached the highest in more than a decade

The heated exchanges came as up to 40,000 railway workers who belong to the union are pressing ahead with two 48-hour strikes at Network Rail – and 14 train companies – from Tuesday and Friday.

The next four weeks resembles an advent calendar of industrial action, amid fears that unions are forcing Britons into an effective lockdown by shutting down critical services during the Christmas period.

Workers across many other industries will down tools, among them bus drivers, Royal Mail workers, nurses and highway workers who are all set to strike this week over jobs, pay and conditions. 

Last ditch talks to spare commuters a month of rail strike hell collapsed last night, meaning many face another miserable ‘virtual Christmas‘.

The RMT’s decision to reject a new pay deal which, along with heavy snow, threatens to grind the country to a halt through the festive period, means millions of workers now expected to work from home until the new year.

Network Rail has warned there will be significantly reduced services, with trains more crowded and likely to start later and finish earlier until January 8.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said that people are facing another Covid-style ‘virtual Christmas’ as a result of the rail strikes.

He told GB News: ‘These rail strikes are going to force some families to have another virtual Christmas and I think that is terrible when the unions have had a very reasonable pay offer.’

Rail workers protested outside the Ashford International railway station in Kent this morning

Rail workers protested outside the Ashford International railway station in Kent this morning

Rail workers protested outside the Ashford International railway station in Kent this morning

Stationary trains sit in the sidings at Ely railway station in Cambridgeshire on Tuesday as a fresh wave of rail strikes began, kicking off a 'December of discontent'

Stationary trains sit in the sidings at Ely railway station in Cambridgeshire on Tuesday as a fresh wave of rail strikes began, kicking off a 'December of discontent'

Stationary trains sit in the sidings at Ely railway station in Cambridgeshire on Tuesday as a fresh wave of rail strikes began, kicking off a ‘December of discontent’

There was heavy traffic on the Blackwall Tunnel as a fresh series of rail strikes began today

There was heavy traffic on the Blackwall Tunnel as a fresh series of rail strikes began today

There was heavy traffic on the Blackwall Tunnel as a fresh series of rail strikes began today

Meanwhile, Government plans to introduce legislation in the New Year that will impose limits on strikes in the public sector could include higher thresholds for strike ballots.

Asked about the threat of new laws to restrict strike action, Mr Harper said: ‘We’ve already introduced the legislation recently on minimum service levels in the transport sector.

‘And one of the things that the Prime Minister is very keen to do is to widen that legislation to deal with other areas of policy and work is taking place at pace on that and that legislation will be introduced at the earliest possible opportunity.’

Official figures published this morning found that the number of working days lost to strikes last month reached the highest in more than a decade.

The Office for National Statistics said 417,000 working days were lost because of labour disputes in October 2022 – the highest since November 2011.

December is being billed as the ‘new winter of discontent’ amid fears the unions are forcing the UK into a lockdown by crippling critical services over Christmas.

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