Jacob-Rees Mogg has attacked the BBC for its “leftie approach” in an interview after being quizzed about why he tweeted a quote from the leader of Germany’s far-right AfD party.
But Mogg was quickly accused of giving a platform to an “overtly-racist” party, with the AfD widely considered to be both anti-immigration and anti-Islam. In its most recent manifesto, the party laid out its opposition to gay marriage and same-sex adoption.
Asked on Wednesday morning whether he should clarify that he does not back the AfD’s views other than those on Brexit, Mogg told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Well I think this is typical of the BBC’s obsession – dare I say it the Today programme’s obsession – about this.”
The leader of the ERG – a group of ultra Brexiteers in parliament – said that BBC presenter Jim Naughtie had “quite shamefully” been allowed to compare the ERG to France’s far-right National Front on the Today programme.
It comes after Naughtie last week quoted a source, saying: “Somebody put it to me the other day, look, in any other European country the Conservative Party wouldn’t exist in its current form.
“The ERG, Jacob Rees-Mogg’s group, in France would be in the National Front because that’s what they believe, and in Germany they’d be in the AfD.”
But Mogg ignored repeated attempts by interviewer Mishal Hussain to explain the comment was not Naughtie’s view.
Asked by Hussain to return to her original question, the North East Somerset MP hit back: “I’m coming to the question – hold on. You must be patient and not interrupt so much because the answer needs to be given properly. “
He continued: “The BBC does have this obsession. What Mr Naughtie said was an outrageous slur and he wasn’t challenged by whoever was interviewing him – that wasn’t raised, which seems to me a matter of competence.”
When challenged again that Naughtie had been quoting a source, Mogg said: “So hold on a moment. When Mr Naughtie quotes someone and it’s not his view, that’s fine? But when I quote somebody and it’s not my view, that’s a great shock.
“That seems to be typical of the Today programme’s leftie approach and obsession with this issue.”
The interview with Mogg, an arch Brexiteer, comes the morning after Theresa May announced she would meet with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to discuss a plan to break parliament’s deadlock on Brexit.
Meanwhile, she would ask the European Union for a further extension to Article 50, she said in a podium speech on Tuesday.
Reacting to the news, Mogg said yesterday: “I think getting the support of a known Marxist is not likely to instill confidence in Conservatives.”