GMB hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls lock horns in heated fly-tipping debate

Good Morning Britain viewers watched on as Susanna Reid clashed with her co-host Ed Balls in a debate over fly-tipping.

On Wednesday (1 May), Reid introduced a discussion on the subject after ministers warned the issue is “soaring” with more than 1.1 million fly-tipping incidents in England each year.

“Let’s talk about something that is very relevant and may even unite the panel here,” she said, sharing her view on how to improve the situation.

“I think bins on streets. When you come out of schools for instance and you’ve got loads of children and they’ve been to the shop and they have loads of rubbish, where do they put the rubbish? I don’t mind if they put it in my bin.”

Reid grew increasingly frustrated as Balls kept interjecting, and added: “Ed doesn’t agree with me, and I’m really confused why this is a debate.”

Balls chimed in: “I don’t think everybody can have two bins, one in their house and then one on the street.”

Reid attempted to explain how the proposed setup would work, but Balls continued to disagree with the idea, replying: “You wouldn’t let [people] come onto your property and put rubbish in your bin. Would you put a sign up saying, ‘Bin available’? You don’t do that.”

Viewers couldn’t help but notice that the pair’s debate got more heated than usual and, in a rare instance, they continually spoke over each other to get their points heard.

“What a racket,” one viewer at home wrote on X/Twitter in response to the debate, with another, bemused by their interaction, asking: “What’s going on?”

New measures are being introduced to prevent the increase in fly-tipping. Those caught doing it will have their cars and vans seized and crushed under a new crackdown, with drones and mobile CCTV vans deployed to identify vehicles used to dump waste.

Those responsible for fly-tipping will also face up to five years in prison under new legislation.

Fly-tippers will also have to pay to have their car crushed, so the burden does not fall to taxpayers. At the moment the local authority usually covers the cost.

Criminals caught transporting and dealing with waste illegally will also now face up to half a decade in jail