Stanley, 79, tried to defend Boris Johnson, 55, on BBC Breakfast today as the Prime Minister was missing was the Channel 4 debate on climate change last night. The broadcaster denied Michael Gove, 52, the opportunity to stand in as they state only party leaders were given the invitation to join the conversation. Trying to explain the Conservative leader’s absence, the guest reiterated the Environment Secretary would have put up a case.
The Tory party have since complained to Ofcom about Johnson being replaced by a block of ice, with a spokesman suggesting the broadcaster was “biased” as the network’s news programme was “conspiring with Jeremy Corbyn to block the Conservatives” from taking part.
Asked by host Charlie Stayt, 57, why his son was missing, Mr Johnson began: “If you are a Prime Minister, you have an enormous number of demands on your time.”
Opposing the broadcaster’s decision, the guest argued: “Much as I respect Channel 4, much as I respect the importance of having six people around a table, there may be other more important things to do.
Justifying the Conservative leader’s move to offer a replacement, the former MEP reiterated Gove should have been a part of the panel.
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“In the case in point, he did send Michael Gove and Michael Gove is the best Environment Secretary this country has probably ever had.”
As a campaigner in the fight against climate change, the guest added of his son’s absence: “I think we ought to leave it there and concentrate on what happened at the debate last night, which was tremendously important.
Explaining his own point of view in the lead up to the debate, Mr Johnson stated it was “very important” and he “very much hoped all political parties would be there.”
Still being grilled about the Prime Minister’s whereabouts at the time of the debate, the guest hit back.
Prime Minister’s make their own decisions
Stanley Johnson
“As far as I’m concerned, Prime Minister’s make their own decisions.
“They have their own sense of priorities and in this particular case I want to tell you, Mr Gove would have made a fantastic contribution to a very important debate and really, that is the reality of the case.”
Becoming increasingly riled, the guest remarked: “I wonder, if you people have any idea of what Prime Minister’s have to do.
“They have an enormous amount of things to do.”
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“On the substance, you’ve got the Tory party manifesto, you’ve got a very large number of statements here the Prime Minister has made.
There has been a huge backlash to the broadcaster’s decision to not let a Conservative member stand in place for the Prime Minister.
A source from within the party told the Daily Telegraph: “If we are re-elected we will have to review Channel 4’s public service broadcasting obligations.”
However, Education Secretary seemed to debunk this when he spoke on Good Morning Britain about the matter.
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Gavin Williamson, 43, said: “We are not going to be reviewing the Channel 4 license.
“It is up for review in 2024 so any government who is elected will probably at some point be reviewing that license as part of that process.”
Editor of Channel 4 news Ben de Pear, 44, took to Twitter to address the broadcaster’s decision to not allow Gove to speak, writing: “It was very kind of Michael Gove to offer himself to appear on Channel 4 News this evening, and we always welcome him on the programme.
“However, as we made clear to him repeatedly, because he is not the leader of the Conservative Party, his participation was not required at tonight’s #climatedebate – which was strictly for party leaders only.”
BBC Breakfast airs weekdays at 6am on BBC One.
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