Environmentalist and vegan campaigner George Monbiot appeared on Good Morning Britain advocating an end to livestock farming while wearing leather.
George Monbiot, who was on ITV's Good Morning Britain on Monday (9 October), told people to stop eating meat and dairy in an explosive interview with presenter Piers Morgan.
The two were clashing over an article George wrote in The Guardian entitled 'Goodbye – and good riddance – to livestock farming'.
It says livestock farming is a "modern day monstrosity" comparable to "slavery", "the subjugation of women" and "judicial torture."
Further in the interview, Piers noticed George wearing a leather watch strap, and challenged him on where the item came from.
George answered: “My watch strap is from the Wednesday market in the town where I live.
“Yes, it's leather. It came from a cow, believe it or not, so did my shoes.”
“Do you not think you should be leading from the front,” asked Piers Morgan. “You’re telling us to give up meat? But you want to kill these animals for your watches and your shoes? Some would say that was shameless hypocrisy.”
George responded: "I'm not being 100 per cent purists about this but I am trying to persuade people to change their habits in quite a radical way."
Celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson, who was also on the programme and sat by George's side, said getting the whole world to eat a plant-based diet was impractical.
“There are far more important issues here, the fact is this country has a proud heritage of farming, we export masses of beef and product to the world. We are proud of our product,” Anthony Worrall Thompson said.
