Cabinet ministers plan to boycott the podcast of’shameless’ Emily Maitlis over the BBC impartiality dispute after she claimed that the corporation employed a ‘active agent’ of the Conservative party.
Emily Maitlis left the BBC earlier this year to join the media conglomerate Global.
She received complaints regarding the Dominic Cumming speech she delivered.
Accused BBC executives of apologizing too fast in response to complaints,
Alleged without mentioning that Sir Robbie Gibb was a “active agent” for the Conservative Party.
Ministers will boycott her podcast following her speech at the Edinburgh Television Festival.
Cabinet Ministers plan to boycott Emily Maitlis, stating that they will refuse to appear on the former BBC presenter’s podcast in response to the controversy over her statements about the Corporation’s impartiality guidelines.
In a speech last week at the Edinburgh Television Festival, the former Newsnight host accused BBC executives of apologizing too fast in response to government concerns about a monologue she delivered about Dominic Cummings’ infamous visit to Barnard Castle.
Ms. Maitlis, who left the BBC earlier this year to join media conglomerate Global, also asserted, without identifying him, that current BBC board member Sir Robbie Gibb, formerly Theresa May’s director of communications, was a “active agent of the Conservative Party.”
She also angered Culture Secretary Nadine Dories by comparing her on Twitter to US Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has promoted far-Right, white supremacist, and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and called for the execution of prominent Democratic politicians, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Ms. Maitlis made the parallel after Ms. Dorries criticized the “witch hunt” probe of Boris Johnson’s behavior during Partygate by MPs.
A senior Government source stated last night that Ms. Maitlis has been emailing Ministers personally to encourage them to participate on the daily podcast she co-hosts with former BBC presenter Jon Sopel.
According to the source, Maitlis is despicable. Her anti-Conservative, left-leaning sentiments colored her BBC reporting at the time.
Cabinet Ministers plan to boycott Emily Maitlis (pictured), declaring that they will refuse to appear on the former BBC presenter’s podcast in the light of the controversy surrounding her statements regarding the Corporation’s impartiality standards at the Edinburgh Television Festival.
Ms. Maitlis (pictured) also asserted, without naming him, that current BBC board member Sir Robbie Gibb, previously Theresa May’s director of communications, was a “active Conservative Party agent.”
David Dimbleby (left), a veteran Question Time host and television presenter of 83 years, stated that Emily Maitlis’ words should have been questions, not statements.
Now, she is trying to incite a controversy in order to promote the new show. Yet, as she criticizes the government, they beg Cabinet Ministers to appear on the show. No one will continue, however. It won’t be a fair interview, just another chance for the left-wing prima donnas to instigate a political dispute.
Yesterday, BBC grandee David Dimbleby denied there was a “cabal” of Tory supporters at the top of the Corporation, and he criticized Ms Maitlis’ Newsnight monologue in 2020 on Mr Cummings’ Barnard Castle trip, in which she stated that the No 10 aide “broke the rules” and “made those who struggled to keep to the rules feel like fools.”
Her remarks, which prompted 20,000 complaints, were cleared by the Newsnight editorial staff. However, Mr. Dimbleby, 83, stated, “I believe she should have posed questions rather than declarations.”
Mr. Dimbleby also downplayed Ms. Maitlis’ suggestion that the BBC reprimanded Newsnight in response to a government objection. ‘I mean, there is a call from Number 10 every weekday morning, whoever is in charge,’ he explained.
Mr. Dimbleby acknowledged that Sir Robbie had objected to the selection of ex-Huffington Post UK editor Jess Brammar as the BBC’s executive news editor of news channels, but he said, “What’s noteworthy about this is that Jess Brammar was appointed.”
Ex-BBC News presenter Simon McCoy stated that Ms. Maitlis’s criticism of Sir Robbie’s position on the board reveals more about her views than his.
In an essay for the Daily Telegraph, Mr. McCoy stated, “The BBC is in the enviable situation of receiving large sums of public money in the form of the licence fee, and with that comes a commitment, above and above what is required by law, to be impartial and accurate.”
However, BBC insiders told The Times yesterday that Ms. Maitlis was correct to identify Sir Robbie as a “active agent” of the Conservative Party.
As the debate continued last night, it was revealed that in an interview with The Sunday Times, BBC’s former Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg stated, ‘I’ve never been told what to say – or, more crucially, what not to say.’
Ms. Maitlis was asked for her opinion.