News / Society

Piers Morgan outraged by BBC treatment of Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis

Thursday, 28 May 2020 5:11 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 28 May 2020 5:27 PM ]

(FILES) In this file photo taken on October 30, 2017 A general view of the headquarters of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in London on October 30, 2017. The BBC will axe 450 jobs in its newsroom as part of plans to adapt

Piers Morgan has accused the BBC of throwing Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis “under the bus” after the corporation ruled an introduction she gave on Tuesday’s programme was in breach of impartiality guidelines.

Mr Morgan said: “You’ve got to be kidding me??? BBC chucking one of its best journalists @maitlis under the bus for TELLING THE TRUTH? Utter disgraceful.”

Many viewers praised Ms Maitlis for her opening to the show, in which she said that Boris Johnson’s top advisor Dominic Cummings had broken the rules of lockdown and added: “The country can see that, and it’s shocked the government cannot.”

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She said in a 90-second monologue: “The disease is not a great leveller, the consequences of which everyone – rich or poor – suffers the same. This is a myth which needs debunking.”

On Wednesday, the BBC said in a statement that staff had been “reminded of the guidelines around impartiality. Ms Maitlis was replaced by Katie Razzall for the next episode of Newsnight, a decision that sparked more anger among those who were in support of her monologue.

“We’ve reviewed the entirety of last night’s Newsnight, including the opening section, and while we believe the programme contained fair, reasonable and rigorous journalism, we feel that we should have done more to make clear the introduction was a summary of the questions we would examine, with all the accompanying evidence, in the rest of the programme.

“As it was, we believe the introduction we broadcast did not meet our standards of due impartiality.”

Durham Police has said it would not be taking further action against Mr Cummings

Durham Police, having fined at least two people who travelled to the county from London, decided not to take any action against senior adviser to the PM Dominic Cummings for the same journey despite having concluded that he had in fact broken lockdown rules.

Mr Morgan, who has been vocal in his disapproval of Mr Cummings’ actions, also took aim at other “high profile BBC stars” for not speaking out against the BBC’s decision.

“Cat got your cowardly tongues? If you don’t stand firm with her speaking the truth about a lying hypocrite whose reckless disregard of his own rules will cost lives, it will be you next,” he warned in another tweet. “Speak up!”

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