'You're just repeating the company lines' Mick Lynch and Ben Shephard in fiery GMB clash

Mick Lynch accused Ben Shephard of 'repeating the company's lines' during a heated interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

The presenter quizzed the RMT leader as rail passengers faced a fourth consecutive day of travel disruption as a result of a strike by thousands of workers in a dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.

Appearing via video link from Euston Station, Mick Lynch, the RMT union leader was quizzed over the ongoing strikes and the prospect of a solution being found on ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

Shephard asked Mr Lynch whether the strikes would be resolved, amid claims from Network Rail bosses that a deal is "within touching distance" as only 2,000 more signatures from union members were needed to resolve the dispute.

Mick Lynch appeared on GMB this morning and was quizzed by Ben Sheppard and Kate Garraway.

Responding to such claims, Mr Lynch said: “"You're just repeating the company's line on their behalf. I don't know why you choose to do that.

"What we had was a referendum were 83 per cent of our members voted and they lost that referendum by a ratio of 2 to 1. In any football match that I've seen if you get 2 and the opposition get 1 then you win the game."

He added: “They lost that despite a massive propaganda effort and they made special films, compulsory briefings and they couldn't convince their staff to vote for the offer on the table. That is the only offer on the table and it has been rejected, so they are going to have to make a new offer, in a new format, with some different proposals."

Co-host Kate Garraway, who was also on the GMB panel asked: "What is the point of this? Where is the end point? Will you risk fines, will you break the law or are we consigned to see two entrenched sides fight to the death?"

Responding, Mr Lynch said: "A resolution is available if people want to reach for it - on the wider picture of trade unions, this is a sign government has lost the argument on austerity in this society.

""People want their services funded properly and people reward fairly. People want a square deal from their employer - whether it is a private employer or the public sector.”

Earlier, Lynch told the Press Association that the Government was “incompetent” and “incapable of understanding the railway”.