Emily Maitlis accused of breaking BBC rules following Dominic Cummings comments

BBC viewers have called for the broadcaster to investigate Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis over her comments about senior government aide Dominic Cummings, accusing her of breaching rules – with the broadcaster saying it ‘did not meet’ its standards of impartiality.

Following uproar from viewers, the BBC released a statement on Wednesday afternoon that read: ‘The BBC must uphold the highest standards of due impartiality in its news output.

‘We’ve reviewed the entirety of last night’s Newsnight, including the opening section, and while we believe the programme contained fair, reasonable and rigorous journalism, we feel that we should have done more to make clear the introduction was a summary of the questions we would examine, with all the accompanying evidence, in the rest of the programme.

‘As it was, we believe the introduction we broadcast did not meet our standards of due impartiality. Our staff have been reminded of the guidelines.’

Maitlis this week accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Number 10 of ‘blind loyalty’ to Cummings in the ongoing row over the aide’s lockdown trip, in what appeared to many as a breach of the BBC impartiality rules.

At the beginning of her Tuesday night broadcast, she said the PM’s adviser ‘broke the rules’ by taking a controversial 260-mile trip to County Durham with his family in March, when lockdown had been put in place.

She also said his move ‘made those who struggled to keep to the rules feel like fools’.

Cummings has been backed by Mr Johnson, and has denied any wrongdoing, holding a press conference and facing the press on Monday over the journey.

In the 53-second monologue aired on Tuesday, Maitlis said the political strategist was known for always getting the public mood, so should recognise he had provoked one of ‘fury, contempt, and anguish’.

Now it’s been claimed the BBC has been ‘inundated’ with complaints from viewers.

According to the BBC’s guidance on its own editorial standards, it states: ‘…We are impartial, seeking to reflect the views and experiences of our audiences – so that our output as a whole includes a breadth and diversity of opinion and no significant strand of thought is under-represented or omitted.

Emily Maitlis’ statement on Newsnight

‘Dominic Cummings broke the rules, the country can see that, and it’s shocked the Government cannot.

‘The longer ministers and the Prime Minister tell us he worked with them, the more angry the response to this scandal is likely to be.

‘He was the man, remember, who always got the public mood, he tagged the lazy label of ‘elite’ on those who disagreed.

‘He should understand that public mood now. One of fury, contempt and anguish.

‘He made those who struggled to keep to the rules feel like fools, and has allowed many more to assume they can now flout them.

‘The Prime Minister knows all this, but despite the resignation of one minister, growing unease from his backbenchers, a dramatic early warning from the polls, and a deep national disquiet, Boris Johnson has chosen to ignore it.’

‘Tonight we consider what this blind loyalty tells us about the workings of Number 10.’

‘We are independent of outside interests and arrangements that could compromise our editorial integrity. Our editorial standards do not require absolute neutrality on every issue or detachment from fundamental democratic principles.’

Still, Maitlis had many a fan who praised her statement on social media, with one labelling it ‘savage brilliance’.

Another wrote on social media: ‘Absolutely no mucking about from @maitlis on #newsnight.’

One felt she echoed the feelings of millions, as they added: ‘Emily Maitlis has a penetrating way with words. And the guts to use those words in the service of the public.’

She even had Piers Morgan in her corner, as he wrote on Twitter: ‘What rules did Emily break? And even if you think she did, I thought the new rule is that we can all use our ‘instinct’ to ignore rules?’

However many others felt it went against the impartial standards of the BBC and called for the watchdog to be brought in.

Journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer said: ‘I’m sorry but this is TOTALLY unacceptable from @maitlis, Newsnight and the BBC. The BBC is REQUIRED to be impartial. This is a clear breach of their own rules. Commentators (including me) can give their own opinions, BBC presenters cannot.’

Another viewer wasn’t impressed as they chimed: ‘I really like Maitlis, Newsnight, and absolutely cherish the BBC. But really not sure about editorialising in this way. Happened a few times recently too. Keep that away from broadcast news please, especially the BBC.’

Others calls for media watchdog Ofcom to investigate, despite the organisation not looking after BBC complaints: ‘Is this Newsnight report balanced, fair and impartial? Please investigate this.’

One labelled Maitlis’s comments as ‘digraceful’ as they added: ‘What a totally disgraceful speech from Emily Maitlis and the BBC Newsnight editorial team.

‘Ofcom need to step in because the BBC are clearly breaking their own charter. This in nasty and not at all unbiased or impartial.’

Former Labour MP Kate Hoey also tweeted: ‘Understand that the BBC is being inundated with complaints about Emily Maitlis and Newsnight from last night.

‘I have also put in a complaint and am sure many, many more will #BBCbias.’

BBC, Maitlis or Newsnight is yet to publicly comment on the criticism, with the fortnightly complaints statement from the broadcaster due to be released tomorrow.