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Lisa Nandy slaps down Piers Morgan on live TV over comments on Meghan Markle racism: ‘How on earth would you know?’

Labour leadership contender says presenter has ‘never had to deal with ingrained prejudice’

Emma Snaith
Wednesday 22 January 2020 11:29 GMT
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Lisa Nandy slaps down Piers Morgan on live TV over comments on Meghan Markle racism

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Lisa Nandy has slapped down Piers Morgan after he dismissed claims of racism in press coverage of Meghan Markle amid a fresh paparazzi feud.

She told the Good Morning Britain presenter: ”How on earth would you know? As someone who’s never had to deal with ingrained prejudice?”

The Labour leadership contender was responding to the programme’s coverage of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s feud with the media over paparazzi photos they said were taken without their consent.

Ms Nandy highlighted an open letter from Labour MP Holly Lynch to Meghan Markle where dozens of MPs from different political parties expressed their support for the duchess in taking a stand against intrusive coverage.

She said reporting on Ms Markle “has not shown the British media in its best light”.

But Mr Morgan dismissed the letter as “ridiculous” and said that it “didn’t bear any relation to reality”. He said he believed the Duchess of Sussex had experienced “exactly the same level of treatment as someone like Kate Middleton”.

In response, Ms Nandy asked the Good Morning Britain presenter: ”If you don’t mind me saying, how on earth would you know?

“As someone who’s never had to deal with ingrained prejudice, you’re not in a position to understand people who have.

“And I think there were a lot of people who signed that letter who have.”

Ms Nandy’s appearance on the programme came as her outside bid for the leadership gained pace thanks to the crucial endorsement of the GMB union. It brought her within touching distance of getting on the ballot paper for members.

The Wigan MP has previously expressed her support for the Duchess of Sussex. In an interview with Nick Robinson for a BBC podcast she admitted that while she is sceptical of the monarchy, she is “quite a fan of Meghan Markle”.

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