Tory MP Davies defends Russia TV appearances
AWELSH MP has defended being paid £750 an hour to appear on a TV channel described by the US government as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s propaganda vehicle.
Conservative MP for Monmouth David Davies received £750 an hour plus travel costs for four appearances between last December and September on RT, which used to be called Russia Today.
The figures from the commons register of interests show that in the last two years at least 10 MPs, including Mr Davies have received significant sums of from the station for their appearances. RT has been the subject of controversy following accusations of Russian meddling in US elections.
Mr Davies said he did not regret appearing on RT’s Sam Delaney’s News Thing.
Speaking to the Guardian he said: “The News Thing has given me a fair chance to explain my opinions on Brexit immigration and transgender issues, for which I am grateful.
“Sadly, I have not received the same courtesy from the British Broadcasting Corporation. Instead, on several occasions, its highly paid presenters have criticised me by name without giving me a right of response.”
Swansea-born Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans also appeared on the channel receiving £750 an hour on two separate occasions.
Other figures to appear on the show included Nigel Farage, liberal leader Vince Cable and the former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell.
Some politicians received fourfigure-sums for their appearances. Assistant government whip Mike Freer was paid £1,000 an hour last year for his appearances.
Mr Freer told the Jewish Chronicle: “I appeared on Sam Delaney’s News Thing, an independent production that is satirical in nature. I went on to poke fun at Putin, which I did.”
Some MP’s have taken to Twitter to defend their appearances.
Labour MP for Canterbury, Whitstable and the Villages Rosie Duffield, was paid £500 for three hours for her appearance on the channel. She wrote on her Twitter page: “Absolutely pathetic nonstory about me today. Worked on Sam Delaney’s show in July, paid by production company, not RT. That’s how tv works!”
The European Values thinktank has recently published a report into western politicians who have appeared on RT with the report’s author describing how people appearing on the show had a “failure of judgment”.