The BBC replaced @maitlis in tonight episode of @BBCNewsnight because of a ‘breach of impartiality rules’ during Monday’s opening monologue. Is this true, or are the BBC politics team a bunch of supine cowards, willing to throw her under the same bus as they did Munchetty? 1/?

Let’s look at that opening monlogue, first off checking if it’s true, and then if it breaks rules. I'll then go through it statement by statement.



2/?

“Dominic Cummings broke the rules.”

Fact. People have received fines for breaking lock down in order to find childcare. It wasn’t until after the Newsnight broadcast that Health Secretary Matt Hancock indicated that the government could look again at these cases. 3/?

“The country can see that, and it’s shocked the government cannot.”

Supposition, based on current thinking. For an excellent overview why this is a fair statement, read this from the @instituteforgov

https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/blog/government-handling-dominic-cummings-loss-public-trust

4/?

“The longer ministers, and Prime Minister, tell us he worked within them, the more likely the response to this scandal is likely to be.”

Supposition. Personally I fear this isn’t true, and the government are going to get away with this. I hope I’m wrong. 5/?

“He is the man, remember, who always got the public mood. Who tagged the lazy label of ‘elite’ on all who disagreed.”

Fact. Cummings has a strong reputation for understanding and modelling the public mood. He is an excellent spin doctor who doggedly hammers home 6/?

simplistic messaging. One example is when Karl Turner told Cummings he had received death threats.

Cummings’ response? "Get Brexit done". And he was widely applauded for this.

https://twitter.com/DavidLammy/status/1177459935124189185

7/?

“He should understand that mood now. One of fury, contempt, and anguish. He made those who struggle to keep to the rules to feel like fools, and has allowed many more to assume they can now flout them."

Expert Opinion. See @ReicherStephen (& others) https://twitter.com/ReicherStephen/status/1265719321281662976 8/?

despite the resignation of one minister, growing unease "The Prime Minister knows all this, but despite the resignation of one minister, growing unease from his back benchers..."

Fact.
The Minister for Scotland quit.
Conservative MPs called for Cummings to resign. 9/?

a dramatic early warning from the polls, and a deep national disquiet, Boris Johnson has chosen to ignore it.”

Fact.
Both @YouGov and @Survation Survation show a fall in voting intention. @SavantaComRes YouGov @JLPartners show falls in gov approval. 10/?

“Tonight we consider what this blind loyalty tells us about the workings of Number Ten. We do not expect to be joined by a government minister, but that won't stop us asking the questions.”

Fact. It was. 11/?

The government chose not to send a representative, Any argument of a reporter being unfair doesn’t wash. I said the same thing with Corbyn. If you think a reporter is harsh, you're supposed to deal with dictators and zealots! Put on a crash helmet and get out there. 12/?

So, this was pretty much all factually accurate or based on the opinion of most experts and commentators. As to the BBC’s impartiality rules, they are outlined here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidelines/impartiality 13/?

Key part: “It does not require absolute neutrality on every issue or detachment from fundamental democratic principles, such as the right to vote, freedom of expression and the rule of law.” 14/?

As I’ve demonstrated above, the public are furious at what’s happened. This opening monologue helped capture that fury (freedom of expression). Secondly, many people in circumstances worse than Cummings had been fined (rule of law). 15/?

The BBC, an institution I cherish, should be utterly ashamed following their treatment of Maitlis. Once a true standard barer, the government continually threaten it's funding. It's eroded to this. We need them to do better for us, but do we need to do better by them? 16/16