Awkward moment ITV's Susanna Reid quizzes shadow chancellor about hair

Awkward moment Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid asks Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves about her new haircut … as Ed Balls notes ‘it’s a good thing I didn’t ask that question’

• Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves quizzed about new haircut in TV interview
• ITV presenter Susanna Reid jokes Labour politician has had ‘a cut of her own’
• Co-host Ed Balls notes it’s ‘a good job I didn’t ask that’ in awkward exchange
• Social media users blast Ms Reid’s ‘sexist’ focus on Ms Reeves’ appearance

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves was awkwardly quizzed about her new haircut this morning as she began a TV interview on Labour’s economic agenda.

Ahead of her keynote speech today at Labour’s conference in Liverpool, Ms Reeves appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain as she continued her attack on the Government’s tax cuts.

But, before she could spell out what Labour would do differently if they were in power, Ms Reeves was first grilled about her appearance by host Susanna Reid.

The ITV presenter joked that Ms Reeves had undergone ‘a cut of your own’ as she noted the politician’s shortened hair.

The uncomfortable exchange left fellow host Ed Balls, a former Labour shadow chancellor himself, to state how it was ‘a good job I didn’t ask that question’.

Social media users blasted Ms Reid’s ‘sexist’ focus on Ms Reeves’ appearance.

Ms Reeves was expected to use her Labour conference speech today to announce her party’s plans to create an £8billion sovereign wealth fund to invest in green projects such as battery factories and wind farms.

Yet fashion came before fiscal matters on Good Morning Britain this morning, as Ms Reid asked: ‘It looks like you’ve had a cut of your own! Have you had your hair chopped in time for conference?’

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves was awkwardly quizzed about her new haircut this morning as she appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain

Show host Susanna Reid joked that Ms Reeves had undergone ‘a cut of your own’ as she noted the politician’s shortened hair before asking her about the Government’s tax cuts

The uncomfortable exchange left co-host Ed Balls, a former Labour shadow chancellor himself, to state how it was ‘a good job I didn’t ask that question’

The awkwardness of the exchange was heightened by Ms Reeves initially being unable to hear the ITV presenter.

‘Sorry, I didn’t catch that, sorry Susanna. Oh, my hair, my haircut,’ she replied. ‘More responsible than the cuts we’ve seen from the Chancellor! I hope you approve.’

Looking to make light of his fellow GMB host’s queries about Ms Reeves’ looks, Mr Balls complimented the shadow chancellor on her ‘good segue’ into talking about economic matters.

‘It’s a good job I didn’t ask that question. A good job I didn’t ask it,’ he added.

Ms Reid then told Ms Reeves she couldn’t ‘reverse your hair cut’ but asked the shadow chancellor which of the Government’s tax cuts Labour would reverse if they win power.

She replied that Labour would restore the 45p additional tax rate, for those earning more than £150,000 a year, that Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng abolishing from April.

‘We will fight that every step of the way in Parliament because it is not right that somebody earning one million pounds a year – already doing incredibly well – will be handed a tax cut worth more than £50,000 by this change that the Chancellor announced on Friday,’ Ms Reeves said.

Social media users were left angered by Ms Reid’s ‘sexist’ focus on Ms Reeves’ appearance ahead of her asking about Labour policy.

One posted on Twitter: ‘Rather sexist of Susanna to ask Rachel Reeves about her haircut, either that or she was trying to put her on the back foot. Whatever the reason, it was the wrong one.’

Another added: ‘Thanks Susanna Reid for furthering the cause in asking Rachel Reeves about her new haircut, whilst supposedly interviewing her about Government policy.

‘On behalf of all other women, cheers.’

Ms Reid was also directly challenged on Twitter herself, with one user asking:  ‘Any need to be so cruel about the guest speaker’s hair? This is when @GMB acts like a petty school playground.

‘I couldn’t focus on the rest of the conversation as this school-girl bullying annoyed me.’

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