A Tory MP suggested the BBC was acting as Theresa May’s mouthpiece

Newsnight logo and Theresa May
Fréa Lockley


On 4 December, Theresa May’s government became the first in history to be found in contempt of parliament. This landmark event dominated news and headlines. But ‘analysis‘ of the day’s events on the BBC‘s flagship Newsnight programme left many viewers questioning, yet again, just how close to Number 10 the corporation really is. So much so that even a Tory MP hinted that it seemed to be rolling out a memo from May.

No 10 memo

While parliament was still in session, host Kirsty Wark interviewed Conservative MPs Bernard Jenkin and Dominic Grieve. Wark asked Jenkin if he and other hard-Brexiteers would still be voting against May’s Brexit deal on 11 December. In response, Jenkin dropped a bombshell, saying:

I think this was an exercise to try and frighten… people like me into supporting the government, saying that ‘this is the best you’re going to get’ and that’s obviously the briefing that’s been sent out very strongly from No 10 and I even hear you echoing some of that in your questions.

At no point was there any confirmation or denial from Wark on this point. In fact, she didn’t even mention it. It seemed to go unnoticed, as very few people picked it up on social media:

One person called the show a “spoof”:

It’s really come to something when even a Tory MP suggests that the BBC is No 10’s mouthpiece.

A good day at the office?

There was a subtle suggestion throughout the show that May won’t lose the Brexit vote next week. And while few people seemed to pick up on Jenkin’s comment, lots noticed a report from Newsnight‘s political editor Nick Watts. In a summary of the day’s events, Watts said:

I spoke to one minister who said this may look like a dreadful day for Theresa May, but actually it was a rather good day in the office.

Many people were stunned:

And as someone else pointed out in response to criticism that Watts was ‘just’ reporting, the glaring omission here was lack of commentary from a broader range of MPs:

On one of the most disastrous days any government has ever had, Newsnight’s coverage failed to take it fully to task. When a Tory MP notices this too, that suggests next-level bias, even for the Beeb.

Featured images via YouTube and Kuhlmann / MSC/Wikimedia

We need your help ...

The coronavirus pandemic is changing our world, fast. And we will do all we can to keep bringing you news and analysis throughout. But we are worried about maintaining enough income to pay our staff and minimal overheads.

Now, more than ever, we need a vibrant, independent media that holds the government to account and calls it out when it puts vested economic interests above human lives. We need a media that shows solidarity with the people most affected by the crisis – and one that can help to build a world based on collaboration and compassion.

We have been fighting against an establishment that is trying to shut us down. And like most independent media, we don’t have the deep pockets of investors to call on to bail us out.

Can you help by chipping in a few pounds each month?

The Canary Support us

Related articles