The BBC’s political editor has a new name for Theresa May’s Brexit deal. It’s comically biased.

BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg has a new name for Theresa May’s Brexit deal. And people have pointed out how comically biased it is.
‘Barnier’s deal’
MPs are set to vote on May’s withdrawal bill for a fourth time in the week starting 3 June. The agreement has already suffered three huge defeats, including the first and fourth largest in history.
Despite the agreement being the same, Kuenssberg joined in the rebranding of the deal as ‘Michel Barnier’s’ (the EU chief Brexit negotiator):
“Partisan spin”
On social media, people called Kuenssberg out:
It's the "withdrawal agreement", not "Barnier deal". Partisan spin should not be passed off as objective fact by journalists. https://t.co/BhKtEDbdMR
— Steve Peers (@StevePeers) May 15, 2019
Why call it barnier deal? Its TMs deal! Bit of sleight of hand there to infer EU to blame !
— Barry #FBPE 🇪🇺🇬🇧 (@Urrff) May 15, 2019
Quick let's call it the Barnier deal and the mugs will fall for it. Then we can blame it on the EU.
— scook2003 – deeply unhelpful (@scook2003) May 15, 2019
Now the Tories are calling the "THERESA MAY 2015–2019 TORY DEAL" the Barnier deal! Had it been a great success it would have been the "MAY" deal. How fucking sly are they? Watch the MSM buy into it!
— richard oneill (@silverrich39) May 15, 2019
Kuenssberg was echoing language used by Conservative Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay, who said:
I think if the House of Commons does not approve the [bill] then the Barnier deal is dead in that form and I think the house will have to then address a much more fundamental question between whether it will pursue… a no-deal option or whether it will revoke
Given every EU member state has a veto on the Brexit withdrawal agreement, rebranding it as the “Barnier deal” amounts to inaccurate propaganda. In reality, the deal is essentially a product of the hard-Brexit wing of the Conservative Party, which informed May’s red lines.
As political editor of a supposedly public service broadcaster, Kuenssberg should be holding the government to account and questioning its messaging. Instead, she all too often parrots it. That needs to end.
Featured image via BBC Politics/ Twitter
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?
-
Show Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to leave a comment.Join the conversationPlease read our comment moderation policy here.
A name for May’s deal? How about “The turd that won’t flush”, a term that could also be used on the author of the deal and, let’s be honest, could be used on Hunt, Johnson as well.
They’re only dragging this farce on so they can finish shafting the NHS before getting booted out of office.
She needs a bit of lippy-botox – as her thin mealymouthed red lipstick utterances are entirely wasted.
How many times does the MSM parrot Conservative Central Office message of the day, it’s worth watching, Pure coincidence editor of Daily Politics and This Week left BBC weeks after 2017 GE to return to Conservative Central
Come in agent Kuensberg