A furious row has erupted after Andrew Pierce and Michelle Dewberry clashed with a Labour MP over his social media post about Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
Mike Tapp, who saw off a challenge from Reform UK to win his seat of Dover & Deal last July, was accused by the GB News pair of "misleading" his social media followers by presenting a paid Labour Party advertisement as independent editorial content.
Tapp had shared an image of The Birmingham Mail's front page that criticised Nigel Farage's approach to the NHS.
In his tweet, Tapp claimed: "The media are catching on" that Reform UK posed a risk to "hardworking people and the precious NHS."
However, the People's Channel presenters pointed out that what Tapp presented as media coverage was actually a paid party political advertisement.
"I caught myself looking at your Twitter and you'd put a tweet out, you'd put a picture of the front page of The Birmingham Mail," Michelle said.
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"That was very misleading because that was a paid for advertisement by the Labour Party. So why was you describing an advertisement as some kind of media editorial?"
Tapp defended his position, saying: "Well, look, I've seen across the board in the media that they're catching on and reporting on the facts."
This prompted an immediate rebuttal from Andrew Pierce, who fumed: "That wasn't reporting on the facts."
Tapp claimed: "What I've seen across the board, the media catching on that Nigel Farage is a risk to British values. He's a risk to our NHS."
Andrew shook his head in disagreement, stating: "You responded specifically to an advertorial paid for by the Labour Party."
He added: "You implied that the front page the Birmingham Mail was criticising Reform, that was paid for content by Labour, looking at your tweet you are suggesting it is the view of the Birmingham Mail. That is misleading."
Tapp fiercely responded: "Across the media and those that I've engaged with, I come on GB News regularly and other channels, they're catching on that Nigel Farage is a threat to this nation.
"He's a threat to our NHS. A paid advertorial was not misleading, absolutely not. I think that is what I stand by 100 per cent because Nigel Farage is a threat to hardworking people, to our NHS and to British values.
"He wraps himself in the flag, but he's no patriot. I've been to war for this country. And I say now firmly that man will do nothing for this country and for hard working people. I stand by every word of that."
Michelle said: "Nothing wrong with that view. A lot of people will share it and a lot of people will disagree. And that is the premise of democracy.
"Everyone feels differently, but that's not the point that we're making. When you have an advertisement, you've got very clear rules and regulations on the top.
"You cannot disguise it and pretend that a paid for advertisement is actually editorial content. That breaks all kinds of rules."
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Mike Tapp, who saw off a challenge from Reform UK to win his seat of Dover & Deal last July, was accused by the GB News pair of "misleading" his social media followers by presenting a paid Labour Party advertisement as independent editorial content.
Tapp had shared an image of The Birmingham Mail's front page that criticised Nigel Farage's approach to the NHS.
In his tweet, Tapp claimed: "The media are catching on" that Reform UK posed a risk to "hardworking people and the precious NHS."
However, the People's Channel presenters pointed out that what Tapp presented as media coverage was actually a paid party political advertisement.
"I caught myself looking at your Twitter and you'd put a tweet out, you'd put a picture of the front page of The Birmingham Mail," Michelle said.
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"That was very misleading because that was a paid for advertisement by the Labour Party. So why was you describing an advertisement as some kind of media editorial?"
Tapp defended his position, saying: "Well, look, I've seen across the board in the media that they're catching on and reporting on the facts."
This prompted an immediate rebuttal from Andrew Pierce, who fumed: "That wasn't reporting on the facts."
Tapp claimed: "What I've seen across the board, the media catching on that Nigel Farage is a risk to British values. He's a risk to our NHS."
Andrew shook his head in disagreement, stating: "You responded specifically to an advertorial paid for by the Labour Party."
He added: "You implied that the front page the Birmingham Mail was criticising Reform, that was paid for content by Labour, looking at your tweet you are suggesting it is the view of the Birmingham Mail. That is misleading."
Tapp fiercely responded: "Across the media and those that I've engaged with, I come on GB News regularly and other channels, they're catching on that Nigel Farage is a threat to this nation.
"He's a threat to our NHS. A paid advertorial was not misleading, absolutely not. I think that is what I stand by 100 per cent because Nigel Farage is a threat to hardworking people, to our NHS and to British values.
"He wraps himself in the flag, but he's no patriot. I've been to war for this country. And I say now firmly that man will do nothing for this country and for hard working people. I stand by every word of that."
Michelle said: "Nothing wrong with that view. A lot of people will share it and a lot of people will disagree. And that is the premise of democracy.
"Everyone feels differently, but that's not the point that we're making. When you have an advertisement, you've got very clear rules and regulations on the top.
"You cannot disguise it and pretend that a paid for advertisement is actually editorial content. That breaks all kinds of rules."
Find Out More...