Kirstie Allsopp has hit out at Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries after the Cabinet minister blasted critics of proposals to privatise Channel 4 as a "Leftie luvvie lynch mob".
The TV presenter, 50, clashed with the Tory on Twitter when Dorries claimed Channel 4’s “salad days are in the past”.
The Location, Location, Location presenter entered into a heated exchange with Dorries on Twitter after her opinion piece was published in the Mail on Sunday, addressing the Government’s decision to push ahead with plans to sell off the channel.
Dorries wrote that former Conservative PM Margaret Thatcher, who set up Channel 4 in 1982, had ultimately wanted it to be “free from the constraints of the state”.
She went on to describe critics of the move as “lazy, overwrought and ill-informed rhetoric from the Leftie luvvie lynch mob”.
Kirstie, who has worked for the broadcaster on numerous shows, was quick to clap back at the Cabinet member, calling her out on her archaic and offensive language.
Taking to Twitter, Kirstie lambasted the MP, questioning whether it was “really ministerial” to describe those opposed privatisation as a “lynch mob” while “at the same time complaining about having been accused of fascism”.
Sharing an article about the US Senate passing an anti-lynching Bill, she added: “This piece might make you think twice about using the term.”
Last week the Government confirmed its plans to privatise the broadcaster, which has been publicly owned since it was founded in 1982 and is funded by advertising.
The announcement has been met by huge criticism from the opposition and a string of Tory peers.
When the plans were announced, a furious Kirstie took to her Twitter account again to vent that: “no true Conservative would sell Channel 4” and that “Lady T will be spinning in her grave”.
But the Culture Secretary wasn’t about to take Kirstie’s dressing down laying down.
Replying to her posts, Dorries served her counter attack, claiming Margaret Thatcher’s memoirs, The Downing Street Years, proved she intended Channel 4 to be sold.
She also said Channel 4 could not be preserved in its current state because of “decreasing advertising revenue and decreasing investment in new content”.
The Tory MP added: “There is of course the bonus a sale will bring to the entire sector which is that the proceeds of sale will be invested back into people from all backgrounds, especially those from left-behind communities because talent is everywhere, not just in the SE.
“We will invest in skills in order to benefit from incoming demand due to our booming film and TV sector due to the favourable tax benefit/relief and funding this gov has put in place to encourage film industry to regard Britain as its home.
“I also love C4, especially Location Location, but as I say in my article, it’s time to look to the future.
“The channel’s salad days are in the past. Being owned by the Gov is restrictive. Time for C4 to fly the nest towards a very exciting future.”
Ms Dorries also apologised to Allsopp after spelling her name incorrectly.
She said: “Apologies, I know your name is spelt Kirstie, @KirstieMAllsopp. My autocorrect disagreed, I should have double checked!”
Plans for the sale will reportedly be set out in a White Paper later this month and will be included in a new Media Bill for next spring.
