Downing Street has yet to follow through on a threat to launch a formal complaint after Sky News presenter Adam Boulton suggested Theresa May might be seriously ill.
Seconds before May stunned Westminster on Tuesday with a shock call for a general election, Boulton told viewers that the PM’s health could be the reason for the announcement.
Responding to Boulton’s speculation, May’s chief of staff Fiona Hill texted furiously: “You might want to tell Bunter [Boulton’s nickname] that he should watch what he is saying about my boss’s health, utterly unfounded and untrue.
“We will be making a formal complaint to John Riley [the head of Sky News].”
Sky News told The Huffington Post UK on Wednesday that it has yet to receive a formal complaint.
The row broke out live on air as Boulton vamped through a broadcast outside Parliament.
With little information to go on, many political correspondents were left speculating on the possible theme of May’s speech - announced with little warning on Tuesday morning.
After receiving the text, the ‘All Out Politics’ presenter tweeted: “Charming message from Fiona Hill”.
And after reporting the missive, Boulton told viewers: “All I said was there has been speculation about Mrs May’s health, she may want to step down.
“I think we can probably take that as denial from Downing Street, which means if it is not a statement about Mrs May’s health it’s presumably more than likely we will have an early general election.”
May has spoken previously about her battle with Type 1 diabetes, but has been clear the condition does not affect her work.
May’s call for a general election on June 8 was formally made to Parliament on Wednesday.