Alastair Campbell Loses Temper on BBC's Newsnight
Campbell Accuses Presenter of Bias
Blasts Derbyshire for 'Allowing Brexiteers to Spread Misinformation'
Former Labour press secretary Alastair Campbell has apologized to the BBC after losing his temper during a Brexit discussion on Newsnight. Campbell accused presenter Victoria Derbyshire of allowing Brexiteers to "spread misinformation" and "trash" the European Union.
The heated exchange occurred during a discussion about the government's plans for a hard Brexit. Campbell, a vocal opponent of Brexit, accused Derbyshire of giving too much airtime to Brexiteer politicians who were "trying to mislead the public." He also claimed that Derbyshire was "not challenging them enough" on their claims.
Derbyshire defended her interviewing style, saying that she always tries to be impartial and give both sides of the argument a fair hearing. However, she did acknowledge that she had interrupted Campbell several times during the discussion.
In a statement released after the program, Campbell said he had apologized to the BBC for his outburst. He said he had been "frustrated" by the way the discussion had been conducted and that he had "let his emotions get the better of him."
The incident has sparked a debate about the role of impartiality in political journalism. Some have argued that Derbyshire was right to give both sides of the Brexit argument a fair hearing, while others have accused her of being too soft on Brexiteers.
The BBC has said it will not be taking any disciplinary action against Derbyshire. However, it has said that it will be reviewing its editorial guidelines on impartiality in light of the incident.
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