Ed Balls has recalled coming across ‘hostile’ individuals during his time as a politician and fears ‘nothing can protect you’ from terror attacks.
The former shadow chancellor appeared as a guest host on Good Morning Britain alongside Susanna Reid on Tuesday and discussed the Liverpool suicide bomber, who blew himself up in a taxi outside a hospital, killing himself and injuring the taxi driver.
He has since been named as Emad Al Swealmeen, while the cab driver is said to be David Perry.
Reid pressed Balls on his time as an MP and whether he ever felt his own life was being threatened when meeting members of the public.
Comparing it to a GP examining a patient, he explained: ‘There are moments when you’re across the desk from somebody and they get angry. Of course they get angry sometimes for really properly legitimate reasons.
It’s the same as being a doctor, a GP will have a meeting with a patient and they come in saying it’s for one thing, and you’re always trying to work out what’s the real issue they’ve come about.’
He continued: ‘Sometimes they get angry, they get hostile. I think every member of parliament, even before these events, would always want to make sure their door was open and the office was aware of what was going on. You always wanted to make sure you understood who people were, you’d check they were on the register.
‘But of course, nothing can protect you against these kind of individuals doing things which are unpredictable and wild.’
The terror alert has been increased to severe following the incident which happened outside the Women’s Hospital on Remembrance Sunday.
Hero taxi driver Mr Perry is said to have locked the passenger, who he believed to be suspicious earlier in the journey, in his cab.
The move could have stopped the suspect from reaching the hospital, potentially saving dozens of lives in what was declared a terrorist incident.
Harrowing footage showed the vehicle as it turned into a fireball moments before the two-minute silence. Plumes of smoke come from the taxi as panicked onlookers run for help and a dazed man, thought to be Mr Perry, stumbles out.
The cabbie appears to warn people to stay away before the vehicle is engulfed in flames seconds later.
Counter Terrorism Police North West said they ‘strongly believe’ 32-year-old Al Swealmeen was the man who died when a car exploded outside the hospital shortly before 11am.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.
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