NICK Robinson has told a Tory minister he’ll take no “lectures” from him on impartiality during a heated debate about Westminster scandals.
The BBC Radio 4 presenter grilled Environment Secretary George Eustice about a recent porn scandal and the partygate row.
The Conservative Cabinet member also endured a car crash interview on Sky News in which he said struggling families should deal with the cost-of-living crisis by buying cheaper “value” goods, urging them to “contain and manage their household budget”.
On BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Robinson raised the case of Neil Parish, who quit as a Tory MP after admitting to watching porn in Parliament.
He claimed he had been looking at tractors online when he got into a website “with sort of a very similar name”. The Conservative said the second time he viewed porn in Parliament was while he was sitting waiting to vote on the side of the Commons chamber, in a “moment of madness”.
Robinson said to Eustice: “You are a farmer, there’s a family farm. Have you ever stumbled across porn when looking for a tractor?”
Eustice replied: “No”, adding: “Look Neil Parish, somebody I know and respect, has given an account and he’s resigned his seat for what happened.
“Clearly it was a big error of judgement what he did and I think he’s given an account of that.”
The Tory minister criticised the line of questioning as “flippant”, but the host was undeterred.
He asked: “Do you not think that some of the things that are now being said to excuse and defend behaviour that in any other walk of life would persuade people to resign, if not to abjectly apologise whether it’s porn or parties, there is a danger that you are insulting people’s intelligence?”
Eustice noted that Johnson had paid his fine for attending a birthday party in his honour in the Cabinet Office, before trying to steer the conservation towards Labour leader Keir Starmer. He replied: “He’s apologised for that and we’ve seen allegations today about Keir Starmer attending a party...”
Robinson interjected to clarify that his questions are about the Tories. Eustice snapped back: “You’re asking a question about politics, Nick, and in the interest of balance you need to recognise that the leader of the opposition is facing.”
Robinson replied: “I don’t need any lectures from you about balance Mr Eustice, we interviewed Sir Keir all about it yesterday.”
The radio presenter ended the interview by noting that all major party leaders had agreed to be interviewed on the Today programme, apart from Johnson.
On Sky News, Eustice was asked what his advice was to people who want a Sunday roast with a chicken but can’t afford it.
He told Kay Burley: “Generally speaking, what people find is by going for some of the value brands rather than own-branded products – they can actually contain and manage their household budget.
“It will undoubtedly put a pressure on household budgets and, of course, it comes on top of those high gas prices as well.”
Household spending on food in the UK is "the lowest in Europe" says George Eustice, but sharp rises in other costs "adds to household pressures" and "struggling to afford food is the first thing that people notice".#KayBurley:https://t.co/5UsjR3EMNh 📺 Sky 501 and Freeview 233 pic.twitter.com/hKyze4PcEC
— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 4, 2022
LibDem Wendy Chamberlain MP commented: “These comments show George Eustice and the Conservatives are living in a parallel universe. Families and pensioners who can’t afford their weekly shop need more help, not patronising advice from a clueless minister.”
The Tory minister’s interview followed fresh news about alleged rule-breaking by Johnson and Starmer during lockdown.
On Tuesday night, the Prime Minister said he has not received a police questionnaire in relation to claims of a rule-breaking leaving party for a former communications director.
The Metropolitan Police sent people more than 100 questionnaires earlier this year in relation to allegations of law-breaking parties in Government buildings while pandemic-related restrictions were in place.
Johnson received a questionnaire then and has since been fined in relation to a gathering on his birthday in June 2020.
But he has now been pressed on reports that some Government staff have received new questionnaires from the Met in relation to a leaving party for the Prime Minister’s former communications director, Lee Cain, on November 13, 2020.
Asked by Times Radio whether he had received a Metropolitan Police questionnaire about the event, Johnson said: “I am not commenting on this stuff generally, but the answer to that is no, not so far, or certainly not to my knowledge. All of this will become clear with the end of the investigation.”
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Meanwhile, Starmer confirmed police have not been in touch with him over allegations he broke lockdown rules, as calls for a full probe into “beergate” continue to grow.
The Labour leader has come under pressure since footage emerged of him drinking a beer with colleagues in April 2021 in Durham, during campaigning for the Hartlepool by-election.
At the time of the gathering, non-essential retail and outdoor venues including pub gardens were open but social distancing rules, which included a ban on indoor mixing between households, remained in place.
In the light of the partygate scandal, Durham police have been asked by Conservative MP Richard Holden to reconsider their assessment that no offence was committed during the meeting.
Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, though, the Labour leader confirmed the police “haven’t spoken to me”.
