BBC host disappointed as Truss ‘can’t spare the time’ for interview

LIZ TRUSS has pulled out of a scheduled BBC interview with Nick Robinson, saying she can “no longer spare the time”.

Ms Truss committed earlier this month to a BBC One primetime sitdown with Robinson, who hosts the Today show, for the Our Next Prime Minister programme. But the Foreign Secretary, who is clear favourite to become the next Tory leader and prime minister, withdrew from the show last night with just over 24 hours’ notice as the race to succeed Boris Johnson entered its final week.

It echoes the 2019 general election when Mr Johnson declined to appear on The Andrew Neil Show while the veteran broadcaster was working at the BBC.

During the current seven-week campaign, Ms Truss has also rejected a oneto-one interview with Neil, who is now with Channel 4.

Rishi Sunak, her leadership rival, was interviewed by Neil on July 29 and by Robinson for Our Next Prime Minister on Aug 10, while a planned Sky News debate between Mr Sunak, Ms Truss and Penny Mordaunt was cancelled on July 18. On Twitter, the BBC News press team said: “Ms Truss’s team say she can no longer spare the time to appear on Our Next Prime Minister.

“We regret that it has not been possible to do an in-depth interview with both candidates despite having reached agreement to do so.”

In a tweet of his own, Robinson wote: “Was pleased to secure an in-depth interview with Liz Truss on BBC One. I am disappointed and frustrated it’s been cancelled.” The decision was seized on by Mr Sunak’s camp, as the former chancellor has taken part in nine one-on-one broadcast interviews throughout the contest.

Ms Truss has taken part in two such interviews in the same timeframe – the Today programme, where she was grilled by Robinson, and a GB News special with Alastair Stewart.

A Sunak campaign source said: “It’s important that candidates face proper scrutiny. Avoiding that scrutiny suggests either Truss doesn’t have a plan at all or the plan she has falls far short of the challenges we face this winter.”

A Labour spokesman said: “People will rightly conclude that she doesn’t want to answer questions about her plans for the country because she simply hasn’t got any serious answers to the big challenges facing our country.”