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A ROW HAS erupted between the Conservative Party and Channel 4, with the Tories saying the broadcaster “conspired” with Jeremy Corbyn to block them from a TV leaders’ debate.
The party has made a formal complaint to Ofcom’s election committee as an ice sculpture was used in Boris Johnson’s place in the Channel 4 News debate on climate change.
The Johnson was again accused of “running scared” when he did not join the other party leaders, with Michael Gove instead turning up and asking if he could stand in for him, before being turned away because he is not a party leader.
A letter from the Conservatives, addressed to Ofcom election committee chairman Tim Suter, said it offered Channel 4 the former environment secretary Gove to be the party’s representative for the debate.
“Channel 4 News has refused to accept this representative, and stated that they intend to ’empty chair’ the Conservative Party if the Prime Minister does not attend,” the letter said.
“This effectively seeks to deprive the Conservative Party of any representation and attendance at the Channel 4 News debate.”
It comes as Conservative sources were reported as saying that if the party wins the coming election, it will reassess Channel 4’s public service broadcasting licence.
A Tory source told the Daily Telegraph: “If we are re-elected we will have to review Channel 4’s public service broadcasting obligations.”
In their letter to Ofcom, the Tories said if Channel 4 went ahead with the ice sculpture it would be “a provocative partisan stunt, which would itself constitute making a political opinion in its own right”.
‘Running scared’
Ahead of the debate, a Conservative spokesman said:
We are deeply disappointed that Channel 4 News has conspired with Jeremy Corbyn to block the Conservatives from making the case for tackling climate change and protecting the environment in this evening’s debate.
Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson wrote to Ofcom’s chief executive Sharon White, urging her to “call out this meddling”, adding: “This campaign, Boris Johnson has banned the Daily Mirror from its battle bus, ducked the Andrew Neil interview and now attempted to bully Channel 4.
“I hope you’ll stand with me in defending our free broadcast press from this gross dictatorial act.”
Before the debate, the editor of Channel 4 News, Ben de Pear, tweeted a picture of Gove and the Prime Minister’s father Stanley Johnson, who were both at the studio.
Gove also posted footage of himself arriving and asking if he could be the Conservative voice in the debate.
After the programme, de Pear said: “It was very kind of Michael Gove to offer himself to appear on Channel 4 News this evening, and we always welcome him on the programme.
“However, as we made clear to him repeatedly, because he is not the leader of the Conservative Party, his participation was not required at tonight’s #climatedebate – which was strictly for party leaders only.”
Rebecca Newsom, head of politics at Greenpeace UK, said: “Given how poorly Boris Johnson’s manifesto scored in our climate and nature ranking, it’s no surprise he refused to take part.
“This could have been an opportunity for him to set the record straight and commit to stronger policies.
“But running scared doesn’t just spark witty hashtags highlighting his cowardice, it demonstrates to voters a serious lack of leadership over a crisis that affects us all.”
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Johnson will appear on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show on Sunday, despite refusing to commit to an interview with veteran journalist Andrew Neil after Corbyn was grilled by him earlier this week.
Neither the BBC or CCHQ was able to confirm the Prime Minister’s appearance on the Andrew Marr show.
Conservative Charles Walker told BBC’s Newsnight: “I don’t think you can sort of bully a Prime Minister ‘Admit now that you’re going to be interviewed by Andrew Neil, I want you to tell me now you’re going to be interviewed by Andrew Neil’.
“No Prime Minister is going to allow themselves, as he was visiting a farm shop or something with a journalist, to be bullied into saying what he’s going to be doing in the forthcoming week.”
Following the YouGov poll that put the Tories on course for a comfortable majority, both Labour and the Conservatives are focusing their efforts on Brexit voters, according to The Times, with Johnson expected to speak on Friday about leaving the European Union.
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This is the issue when another business gets involved ie a union, that feels it has to do something to keep its members. They could be on the best terms and conditions and payment in the planet and you would still have issues with union involvement … I think Ryanair were wrong to recognize them …
@Shane Zerbe: They recognised the unions because pilots were already striking. There’s a number of large European low-cost airlines (Norwegian, Easy Jet, Wizz Air, some traditional / flag-carrier airlines) that now provide better pay & benefits than Ryanair for pilots and crew.
If they were willing work with their staff to bring in better pay / conditions then the unions wouldn’t be needed or asked for. They last thing they want is all their pilots to start moving over to other airlines. Emirates is a good example of an airline that is struggling with big pilot shortages over bad pay / conditions and is now badly suffering and having to cancel many flights/routes because of it.
@Shane Corry: yeah that’s the free market working the way it should. There’s no need for union involvement. They’ll end up destroying the airline by going too far. The lunatics always end up running the asylum.
From what I read there is a shortage of pilots worldwide. Why don’t the Ryanair pilots just leave and take a job elsewhere. Surely if there demands are reasonable the other airlines will have no problem in paying up.
@Dave Doyle:
Lots of them did, which is precisely why those that remained were in a strong enough position to demand union recognition from Ryanair.
@Dave Doyle:
“Why don’t the Ryanair pilots just leave and take a job elsewhere?”
They do. Norwegian for example (The biggest european low-cost airline operating the same aircraft type as Ryanair) has been actively poaching many pilots which has partly led to the situation they are in now.
@Shane Corry: Norwegian has failed to return a profit in the last ten years, great to work for though. Long may it continue.
I love Ryanair. I get cheap flights, they arrive on time. During the ash cloud crisis, went to Alicante for 4 nights ended up staying for 12. They paid for my accommodation and food for the extra 8 days we stayed there. Also, Knock airport didn’t charge me for parking my car for the extra days I was away. One of the best holidays, I ever had.
@Maggie O’Sullivan: my flights weren’t cheep, over 1380.00 for 4 of us. If they strike Thursday I hope they treat us like they did you. Here’s hoping.
@Maggie O’Sullivan: I agree completley. People have short memories. Before Ryanair, Aer Lingus had a monopoly in Ireland and were charging extortionate airfares. I remember paying £250 for a flight to London on a cold October day over 30 years ago. The reason the likes of Aer Lingus and BA now have half reasonable airfares is because of Ryanair putting pressure on them. Before Ryanair, only the rich could fly and it seems like many people want to go back to thoes days. I’ve been able to travel all over Europe because of their low fares but some media outlets are even trying to blame Ryanair for cancelling flights because of the french air traffic controllers going on strike. Some people just love complaining.
@Lily: I hope they do!! I’ve never had any faults with them.
@Tom O’Brien: thanks Tom. It’s not even the cheap flights, the passengers bring alot of revenue to other countries which is badly needed. Long live Ryanair, I say!!!!
@Maggie O’Sullivan:
They were legally obliged to pay for your accommodation and food. They fought it every step of the way though.
Hopefully the unions will destroy Ryanair, the company has simply gotten too big for its boots in our socialist republic.
Oh no how will them poor Spanish and Portuguese holiday makers get to costa del Bunmahon now
@liam mc laughlin: bitter much?
@EvieXVI: Get humour much?
I hope Ryanair go bust because they treated me and my family very badly a few years ago.
I am trying to bundle with eir last month or so emailing calling they meant to send me sim card to switch. Every time they to call me back nada. One rep even pretended he d a bereavement to avoid me switching. 180 a month between the 2 bills versus 106 to include mobile in bundle. Any recommendations re leaving eir comreg options etc.
Oh no, how will them poor spani
@liam mc laughlin: Well done Liam
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