Cabinet minister Nadine Dorries was left angered after Boris Johnson was told to ‘stop talking’ during a heated debate with presenter Nick Robinson.
The culture secretary, who took over from Oliver Dowden in the Cabinet reshuffle, expressed her frustration after the exchange between Mr Robinson and the Prime Minister on Radio 4’s Today programme – which sparked 558 Ofcom complaints this month.
The interview featured the MP from Mid-Bedforshire. He has asked the BBC to develop plans to combat impartiality. Tell your allies: Nick Robinson has cost the BBC a lot’ The TimesReports
It comes as Ms Dorries, whose appointment comes amid ongoing talks with the broadcaster about what level the licence fee should be set at for the next five years, recently told BBC bosses to address bias and elitism within the corporation.
Nadine Dorries was the Cabinet minister and took over from Oliver Dowden in September’s Cabinet reshuffle. She stated to allies that Nick Robinson has cost the BBC a lot.
558 Ofcom complaints were raised by 558 Ofcom subscribers after Nick Robinson, Prime Minister, and Prime Minister, exchanged on Today.
During her first meeting with Tim Davie, the BBC’s director-general, and the corporation’s chairman Richard Sharp last moth the culture secretary is understood to have called for reforms and a greater monitoring of the balance of news programmes within the corporation.
The Times was told by a source that the pair were stunned and gulped down their tea. They thought she was going to roll over.
It comes as the BBC revealed it had received 558 objections on the grounds of bias over the heated Radio 4’s Today show between the Prime Minster and Nick Robinson earlier this month.
The interview at Manchester’s Conservative conference got off to a fast start with Mr Robinson asking how long it had since Mr Johnson was last on, prompting him cheekily to reply “has it really been that much?”
During the interview, Mr Johnson was interrupted by Mr Robinson during a lengthy answer to the supply chain crisis. He said: ‘Prime Minister. You are going to pause.
“Prime Minister! We will have questions and answers, not where your talk is.
Before Robinson asked him a question about business taxes, the PM replied, “I’m very happy that you’ve stopped talking,”
After a series more irritable exchanges, Mr Robinson concluded the interview and said to the PM: “Thank you for talking with the Today programme and allowing me to ask the occasional question.”
The politician responded: “It’s very kind for you to allow me to talk… I thought that was why you invited me to your program.
During the interview, Mr Johnson was interrupted by Mr Robinson during a response to the supply chain crisis.
Following the interview Tory MPs complained about how Mr Johnson had been treated, with John Redwood tweeting: ‘When the PM had a good answer to a question, the BBC Today programme tried to stop him, asking a different question.
“BBC interviewers should be able to give an answer and pretend to be interested” in the person they are interviewing. They seem to want their opinion to be imposed instead.
Andrew Murrison, South West Wiltshire MP, dismissed the approach of Mr Robinson as’slapstick.
He said, “Trademark BBC rudeness corrupts political discussion.” Rarely does it get the “gotcha moment” its overpaid pundits want.
Soon after the PM left the studio, Mr Robinson, the BBC’s former political editor, sought to address criticisms that he had been rude.
He said: ‘For those listeners who may have been slightly offended by me telling the prime minister to stop talking… the truth is he’s a great communicator [but]He is not a man who does not believe in the power of his body. [always]Loves the “cut and thrust” of question and answer.”
Speaking at a Conservative Party fringe event this month, Ms Dorries demanded change at the BBC, saying its staff needed to reflect a wider demographic than just people ‘whose mum and dads work there’.
She said that she couldn’t predict the future and refused to answer questions about whether the licence fee will still be required in 10 or twenty years. In 10 years, will the BBC still exist? I don’t know.
‘We can’t look into the future. It is a highly competitive environment right now.
“You have Amazon Prime, Netflix, and other bods coming down.
“This younger generation that is coming through, they certainly watched their TV in a very different manner than how my generation watched it, so who knows what we’ll be doing?
She maintained that she did not want to have a war with the broadcaster, but suggested that the broadcaster would have to explain how it will change prior the next licence fee settlement. This covers the five years starting in April 2022.
MailOnline reached out to Ms. Dorries and the BBC to get their comments.