Labour's Richard Burgon Blasts BBC For Being 'Put On Trial' Over Manifesto

An extraordinary Newsnight clash.
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A Labour MP close to Jeremy Corbyn has accused BBC’s Newsnight of putting the party “on trial” after being asked questions about the party’s election manifesto launched just hours earlier.

Richard Burgon took umbrage at presenter Kirsty Wark for asking if he could remember figures on tax and tuition fees, two central aspects of the party’s pitch to the electorate.

The MP accused the broadcaster of ignoring the “bigger picture” at the expense of specifics. The exchange went:

Burgon: “I think what we need to talk about here...”

Wark: “If you’ll let me finish I’m asking you a question.”

Burgon: “I understand your technique. It seems to me we are being put on trial for daring to suggest higher public spending.

“Put on trial for daring to set out with greater transparency than any other party has put forward before, about how much we’re going to spend, and how we will spend it.

“You, I presume, have read the document and it is all in there. We have a choice with this interview. We can do the rather tedious thing of going through each number...”

Wark: “Hang on, hang on.”

Burgon: “Or we can talk about the bigger picture. We can talk about...”

Wark: “Let me reassure you, we are going to go through some of the specific policies in a minute.”

Labour’s Barry Gardiner, who last week criticised the BBC for reading out - among other newspapers - The Sun’s front page headline on Today, defended his colleague’s performance.

On @BBCNewsnight @RichardBurgon brilliantly keeps the focus on our popular policies, on equality & declines the elephant traps.#GE2017

— Barry Gardiner (@BarryGardiner) May 16, 2017

While social media users also hailed Burgon for ‘standing up’ to Wark.

Richard Burgon well done for putting £300,000+ earner Kirsty Wark in her place on #Newsnight fed up with BBC journalists looking after no. 1

— eleanor land (@landeleanor) May 16, 2017

Well done @RichardBurgon you stood up to the grilling from @KirstyWark on #Newsnight. Her aim wasn't to discuss policy, just to trip you up.

— Buffy (@buffybatik) May 16, 2017

The way Kirsty Wark was interviewing @RichardBurgon you'd think Lab were bringing back workhouses, not free university education. #newsnight

— Daniel Blake's Vest (@WarmongerHodges) May 16, 2017

But others, including journalists, were less impressed.

Richard Burgon cross at Newsnight, who want to "do the rather tedious thing of going through each number" in Labour's manifesto. Well, yes

— Dan Bloom (@danbloom1) May 16, 2017

If you are ever feeling sad, remember the earth is around 4.5 billion years old, yet you lived in a time Richard Burgon went on Newsnight.

— Cuck Norris (@twlldun) May 17, 2017

Richard Burgon has been constructed in a lab by Theresa May and Lynton Crosby. And don't try to convince me otherwise.

— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) May 16, 2017

Though Theo Bertram, a former advisor to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, noted:

Instead of mocking Burgon, notice his discipline at sticking to the line & how well his tub-thumping Prescott-style plays with the base. https://t.co/tiT8zYUmg0

— Theo Bertram (@theobertram) May 17, 2017

Future Deputy Leader. https://t.co/FUUhZqufYA

— Theo Bertram (@theobertram) May 17, 2017
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