Outrage as BBC host tells Boris: Let’s see who’s in job for longer...
A BBC presenter was forced to apologise last night after aiming a jibe at Boris Johnson while she hosted an event at which he was speaking.
Taking to the stage after the Prime Minister finished his speech, Steph McGovern told him: ‘Let’s see who’s in [their] job for longest.’
Miss McGovern was hosting a meeting of 1,000 senior business leaders and politicians in Rotherham yesterday while on maternity leave from BBC Breakfast.
But her remarks at the Convention Of The North event sparked fury among Tory MPs.
Former culture secretary John Whittingdale said: ‘The BBC must be impartial at all times and this applies particularly to public comments by its news presenters whether on or off air. These remarks are a clear breach of the rules and once again cast doubt on the impartiality of some of its journalists.’
Miss McGovern made two sarcastic comments to the audience following Mr Johnson’s speech.
The Prime Minister was recently revealed to have referred to former PM David Cameron as a ‘girly swot’ in Cabinet notes, disclosed during a court case. The use of the phrase prompted accusations of sexism.
After Mr Johnson finished his speech yesterday, Miss McGovern, 37, declared: ‘I’d just like to point out I am a “girly swot”, and I’m proud of it. Let’s see who’s in the job for longest.’
Following the controversy, Miss McGovern tweeted an apology last night, saying: ‘At a non-BBC event I was hosting today, I made a lighthearted remark after the Prime Minister’s speech.
‘Sorry that this caused offence to some. That was absolutely not my intention.’ Mr Johnson’s speech, telling Northern voters he trusted them to ‘take back control’ of local train services, had earlier been interrupted by an audience member who repeatedly told him to ‘get back to Parliament’.
Mr Johnson responded: ‘Indeed. I’m all in favour of our MPs.’
The heckler, Ben Gilchrist then said: ‘Why are you not with them in Parliament sorting out the mess that you created?’
As he was removed from the hall by security the 41year-old charity worker shouted: ‘Why don’t you sort it out, Boris?’
Later Mr Johnson said: ‘Whatever the shenanigans that may be going on at Westminster, we will get on with delivering our agenda and preparing to take this country out of the EU on October 31st.’ He jokingly added: ‘To the gentleman who left prematurely, not necessarily under his own steam, that is the answer to his question.’
Mr Johnson promised London-style powers over local rail fares, timetables, rolling stock and stations for elected mayors across the North of England.
He said his experience of running London Underground as mayor showed services controlled by local politicians ran better than ones run from Whitehall.
Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, a critic of the state of transport services in the North of England, welcomed the announcement, saying: ‘We’ve asked for more control over rail and we’ve been given that today.’
‘Clear breach of the rules’