This Morning guest Rory Stewart – a former MP and Minister of State for Prisons, Parole and Probation – landed himself in hot water with Cat Deeley after a swipe about older people. Sharing his beliefs that the Conservative Party is headed for downfall, he suggested that the majority of Brits supporting them are the over-65s.
Delivering a savage swipe towards the older community, he bluntly exclaimed: “With people over 65, there’s eventually an end to them!” Cat instantly warned him: “Hey – be very careful!”, while co-star Ben Shephard chimed in: “Don’t get personal.”
However, Rory continued on his path, insisting: “You can’t build a profile around that.” He also suggested: “When Mrs Thatcher won the 1983 election, she won the 18 to 25-year-olds well ahead of Labour.
“Now the Conservatives are only leading with people over 65, and that’s a problem.” He added: “The future of the party is to get young people back… you can’t build a party around older retired people because there’s an end to them.”
Angry viewers fought back on Twitter, with one exclaiming: “Oh thanks for reminding me Rory that I’m near my ‘end’. Maybe won’t bother voting then! #thismorning.” Meanwhile, another indignant show fan wrote: “Rory saying that about old folk when he looks like he’s been dug up.”
However, Rory did garner some support too, with a third tweeter wishing he was still serving as a MP.
“God, I miss sensible politicians like Alan Johnson and Rory Stewart #ThisMorning,” the viewer wrote.
Meanwhile, Ben quizzed the pair – both special guests on the show – on whether this year’s election could be the moment that Nigel Farage “finally gets his seat”.
Alan said he doubted that, before suggesting that his real motive was to get back to the Conservative Party and lead there.
The mood turned a little more light-hearted when the trend for parents to keep their children’s teeth and hair and turn them into jewellery was raised.
Rory looked visibly disgusted, as viewers’ experiences were discussed.
It was pointed out that some cultures, including in Cameroon and Papua New Guinea, view hair and nails as the key to the soul, so would be fearful of others’ collecting them.
However, none of it was a surprise to Cat, who revealed previously that she was having a bracelet made from her son’s milk teeth.