EMILY MAITLIS risked another BBC impartiality row after she appeared to take a swipe at Boris Johnson over the coronavirus crisis.
Last night’s Newsnight opened with a clip of the Prime Minister telling MPs he was “very proud” of the government’s record during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Mr Johnson told the Commons: “I take full responsibility for everything this government has been doing in tackling coronavirus and I am very proud of our record.”
Immediately afterwards, Ms Maitlis opened the show by saying: “When it comes to excess deaths, Britain’s currently a world leader.
“Is that really something to be proud of?”
The UK’s death toll from the virus is almost 40,000, the second highest total in the world, with almost 62,000 excess deaths overall during the coronavirus outbreak.
A BBC spokesman told Sun Online: “Newsnight was posing a challenging question about the government’s record on coronavirus which is the job of journalism.”
‘CHEAP SHOT’
It comes after the Beeb host sparked fury last week by stating on Newsnight that the PM’s top aide Dominic Cummings had “broken the rules” of lockdown by driving 260 miles from London to County Durham.
Ms Maitlis’s opening remark last night brought condemnation from some on social media.
One person tweeted: “Cheap shot, but to be expected.
“He was referring to all the work and effort put in across the board, NHS, Carers, Key Workers but@maitlis couldn’t resist the sneering.
“It’s easy being a passenger.”
Another person raged the BBC presenter “should have been fired.”
And a third said: “How does cheap shots help? I’m critical of the Government response too, but with specifics and with solutions I find Maitlis tedious, her approach is not constructive.
“I used to love Newsnight, left it behind when Paxman left.”
During last Tuesday’s Newsnight, Ms Maitlis blasted Mr Johnson’s “blind loyalty” after the PM backed his chief adviser Mr Cummings.
When it comes to excess deaths, Britain’s currently a world leader. Is that really something to be proud of?
Emily Maitlis
The day after Maitlis tore into Cummings, the BBC released a statement saying her introduction did not meet impartiality standards.
It added: “Staff have been reminded of the guidelines.”
The BBC was bombarded with more than 40,000 complaints in two days after Ms Maitlis broke the impartiality rule.
Tory grandee Iain Duncan Smith said: “It’s quite wrong of an interviewer to express their own views using a platform they have been fortunate to get.”
Former Labour MP Kate Hoey wrote online: “I have also put in a complaint and am sure many, many more will #bbcbias”.
Ms Maitlis returned to front Newsnight on Monday for the first time since the row over her Mr Cummings’ statement.
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