Bunter versus the rottweiler
Sky News veteran in clash with Mrs May’s gatekeeper
ONE is a rotund television presenter, who married into the heart of New Labour.
The other is a spiky behind-thescenes operator, with unflinching loyalty to the Prime Minister.
Now an extraordinary feud has broken out between the pair: Sky News editor at large Adam Boulton and Fiona Hill, Theresa May’s co-chief of staff feared as something of a rottweiler.
Boulton, 58, has publicly complained that Sky News is being frozen out of key interviews with ministers, as part of a furious retaliation against ‘aspects’ of Sky’s political coverage.
On Thursday – shortly before Mrs May launched her Conservative manifesto – he told viewers that he had asked for an interview with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt. ‘But the Conservative Party, or Mrs May’s advisers, are blocking interviews to Sky News by senior ministers. Instead, he gave an interview to the BBC,’ Mr Boulton said.
It is the sort of stand-off that often happens behind the scenes of news organisations but rarely bubble to the surface.
But Boulton – whose portly figure has earned him the Westminster nickname of Bunter – decided his grievance needed airing.
The barb was symptomatic of a bigger thorn in Boulton’s side.
Sky has been getting the cold shoulder for weeks. The broadcaster was not asked to join Mrs May’s ‘battle bus’ at the start of the campaign, and sources claim it has not been called on to ask as many questions in press conferences as its rivals.
A Sky News spokesman said: ‘Since early in the campaign, Sky News has not been getting live interviews on election issues with Conservative ministers. Also, we weren’t initially invited to follow the leader’s tour. We understand this to be because members of the Prime Minister’s team are unhappy with aspects of our political coverage.’
Miss Hill, who worked for Sky News herself in the Nineties, is likely to agree on the last point.
She and Boulton openly clashed in the moments before Mrs May called the general election. Knowing that there was a big announcement in the offing, Boulton reported that Mrs May – who has Type 1 diabetes – could be poised to resign because of ill health.
Miss Hill, 43, sent a furious message in response. ‘You might want to tell Bunter that he should watch what he is saying about my boss’s health, utterly unfounded and untrue. We will be making a formal complaint to [head of Sky news] John Riley,’ she said.
It was – presumably – not a message meant for public consumption. But Boulton read it out on air. He said: ‘I think we can probably take that as a denial from Downing Street.’
Boulton has been used to rather different treatment from the offices of prime ministers. He is married to Anji Hunter, who was gatekeeper to Tony Blair. The pair were both married with children when they met, but left their partners to pursue a relationship. As for Miss Hill, it is not the first time that she has launched herself into a row in this manner.
According to insiders she is notorious for holding a grudge, sometimes rude, and loyal to her boss at all costs.
Last year she branded the former education secretary Nicky Morgan ‘that woman’ in a text row about the Prime Minister’s leather trousers. Miss Morgan had publicly criticised Mrs May’s decision to wear the £1,000 designer trousers for a photo shoot.
Miss Hill – who shares style tips with her boss – responded by disinviting Miss Morgan from joining fellow Conservative Alistair Burt at a meeting with the Prime Minister. ‘Don’t bring that woman to No 10 again,’ she said.
And in 2014 she retaliated against the then education secretary Michael Gove for a briefing he gave to The Times, in which Mrs May was blamed for letting Islamic extremists infiltrate schools in Birmingham.
Miss Hill went for the jugular and published a private Cabinet letter pointing the finger at Mr Gove instead. A furious David Cameron forced Mrs May to sack her loyal aide. However, Mrs May repaid the debt as soon as she became PM, and made Miss Hill one of her two chiefs of staff.