Piers Morgan blasts uninsured cyclists as ‘completely unaccountable’ as he weighs in on licence plate row in GMB debate with Boris Johnson’s father Stanley

• Stanley Johnson and Piers Morgan were embroiled in cycling debate on GMB 
• Sparked by Lord Winston demanding licence plates for cyclists after altercation
• Piers said bike riders were ‘completely unaccountable’ and backed licence plate 
• Called cyclists ‘invisible people marching around anonymously creating havoc’

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Piers Morgan slammed ‘completely unaccountable’ cyclists ‘creating havoc’ on the roads as he became embroiled in a debate with Stanley Johnson this morning. 

The pair were discussing proposals for cyclists to display licence plates after Lord Winston called for the move following an altercation with a bike rider in central London last week. 

Johnson was joined on Good Morning Britain by presenter Julia Bradbury, who said cyclists should be licensed amid a growing number of injuries, fatalities and disputes between riders and motorists. 

Stanley Johnson was joined on Good Morning Britain by presenter Julia Bradbury, who called for cyclists to be licensed

The debate came in the wake of Robert Winston demanding cyclists display licence plates after a woman attacked him when he challenged her for riding on the pavement.

The Labour peer, who led the way in developing IVF, said the woman kicked him in the incident in central London.

He said: ‘I went up to her and told her very politely it was against the law to cycle on the pavement and it was dangerous. I thought she would apologise but she became very aggressive and was swearing.’

Julia Bradbury told the show today there were some 18,000 serious incidents involving cyclists on Britain’s roads last year, with serious injuries topping 3,000, and more than 100 deaths. 

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She said: ‘If you do become involved in an altercation with a cyclist a lot of the time they just simply cycle away. They are uninsured, they could crash into your car, they could crash into you. How do we identify them?’

But keen cyclist Stanley Johnson – whose son Boris led the drive for so-called ‘Boris bikes’ when he was Mayor of London – labelled the proposals ‘crazy’, pointing out the costs of the operation would be ‘huge’.

He told the show: ‘I am perfectly identifiable on a bike. People say “oi Boris, what are you doing” – they have a general impression of some large chap with fair hair.’

Keen cyclist Stanley Johnson labelled the proposals ‘crazy’, pointing out the costs of the operation would be ‘huge’

He added: ‘You above all Julia, should not be pushing this. You are an independent girl…don’t tell me you want to being in some nit-picking regime.’

But co-host Piers Morgan slammed cyclists as ‘completely unaccountable.’

He added: ‘You are invisible people marching around anonymously on your bikes creating havoc, uninsured.’

Julia Bradbury told the show today there were some 18,000 serious incidents involving cyclists on Britain’s roads last year

He also questioned Johnson about ‘drink riding’ after he said he was ‘glad to hear’ there was no breathalyser test for bike riders. 

Johnson said: ‘I am very glad to hear [there is no breathalyser test for cyclists]. The bike is the last place in the world you can finally find if you have a curry, a glass of wine, you can bike home and not worry about it.’

Piers asked: ‘So you drink and ride?’

Johnson replied: ‘I am saying at least you can have a glass of wine and happily bicycle home.’

Susanna Reid questioned the licencing scheme, arguing it would lead to the suggestion that all cyclists were ‘criminals’.

Johnson also refused to answer questions about his son Boris stepping up to become Prime Minister in coming weeks. 

He said: ‘I am all in favour of killing Mrs May’s [Brexit] deal – that is what everybody should be concentrating on at the moment, the lousy deal, something needs to happen. 

‘I’m interested in anybody who can help ditch that deal. I am keen for it to go down, bite the dust finally, fourth time dead. Who can tell what is going to happen.’

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