Tory Minister Anna Soubry today branded stories about Conservative splits over the EU “seriously boring” as she attacked the media for “lazy journalism”.
In a feisty interview with Sky News’s Dermot Murnaghan, the Business Minister blasted “media commentators” who sit in “comfortable studios” as not living in the “real world”.
Murngahan was left struggling to get his questions about a potential post-Referendum Cabinet reshuffle across as Ms Soubry repeatedly accused him of being “boring”.
There have been rumours that Justice Secretary Michael Gove – who is backing Brexit – is facing the chop after the June 23 referendum.
But Ms Soubry was having none of it today during her interview on Sky News, and speaking from Nottingham said: “I’m saying: ‘Oh dear this is so boring for ordinary viewers who are not interested in this media bubble, mainly centred in Westminster.’
“Out here in the real world people want to know the issues, they want to know why we are going to be safer, stronger and better off in Europe.”
In an attack on the “media bubble” Ms Soubry – who once claimed Nigel Farage looked like a man who enjoys having a “finger up his bottom” – said: “Right let’s get a few things straight, right: the media got the result of the General Election spectacularly wrong.
“The reason they got it wrong was because they sat in comfortable studios and they listened to media commentators and forgive me, but that’s lazy journalism. Get out into the real world, listen to what real people are saying.”
As Murnaghan tried to ask about a potential Cabinet reshuffle, Ms Soubry shouted over him: “I’m saying this is boring Dermot, this is boring, this is seriously boring.”
Murnaghan said: “People do want to know what the make up of the Government is going to be.”
“No they don’t, they don’t,” replied Ms Soubry with vigour.
“They absolutely want to know what the arguments are for staying in and what the arguments are for staying out.”
During an interview on Radio 5 Live's Pienaar's Politics earlier this morning, Ms Soubry denied Mr Cameron had "slapped down" London Mayor Boris Johnson in the Commons on Monday.
"He didn’t - he didn’t," she claimed as host John Pienaar made the point.
"Seriously, Anna?" replied Pienaar.
She said: "I know it’s awfully exciting for political commentators to do all this personality stuff – (A) it’s not accurate and (B) it bores the pants off real people. I was there I heard what was said. And the one thing that I will say - that Cameron did not make it personal. He makes robust arguments as I will do – so let’s strip out all this nonsense of personality – let’s debate the issues."