Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis: ‘I Asked For The Night Off’

Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis has said she asked not to present last night’s programme - after the BBC ruled an introduction in which she discussed the Dominic Cummings{ =nofollow}lockdown scandal breached impartiality standards. Emily was replaced by UK editor Katie Razzall on the same day the broadcaster said Maitlis did not meet their standards. The journalist started the magazine news programme on Wednesday by saying the country could see the prime minister’s aide had ‘broken the rules’ with his 260-mile journey and that ‘the public mood’ was ‘one of fury, contempt and anguish’.

With Maitlis saying she would be back tomorrow on Tuesday’s programme, many assumed she was asked to take the night off by the BBC - but she tweeted saying she had ‘asked for the night off’.

'So grateful to my friend and excellent colleague @katierazz for stepping in this evening,' Emily wrote. 'She did so because I asked for the night off -knowing tonight’s prog would be in the most excellent hands #newsnight.’ She added, ‘Been overwhelmed by all the kindness, messages - and support on here - and I’ve probably missed much of it. A big thank you from us all at #newsnight’

In a statement on Wednesday, the BBC said it had ‘reviewed the entirety of last night's Newsnight, including the opening section’. It continued, ‘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.’

Appearing via video link to the House of Commons Liaison Committee yesterday, Boris Johnson ruled out an inquiry into his adviser's trip to Durham, insisting it was time to 'move on'.

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