Jeremy Corbyn snubbed interviews with national and regional BBC news programmes during the Labour Party conference, Press Gazette has learned.
The Labour leader did not carry out pre-arranged interviews with BBC Wales, BBC Northern Ireland, BBC South, BBC South East, and BBC East, according to a source.
Press Gazette understands Corbyn did carry out a number of interviews with the BBC’s national and regional news teams over the last week, but snubbed the five because he had to go on stage at the party conference in Brighton.
A Labour spokesperson said: “Jeremy and the shadow cabinet carried out an extensive number of interviews in the run up to, and during annual conference.”
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It is understood that due to demands on Corbyn’s time during the conference not all bids for interviews could be fulfilled. The conference was largely televised by the BBC.
During his speech, Cobryn goaded Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre by claiming the paper’s 14-page “attack” on Labour the day before the June election helped boost votes for the party.
He said: “Never have so many trees died in vain. The British people saw right through it. So this is a message to the Daily Mail’s editor: next time, please make it 28 pages.”
Theresa May was criticised during the general election campaign for stifling regional press access in what Channel 4 political correspondent Michael Crick said was the most tightly controlled Conservative PR operation he had ever experienced.
Speaking to Press Gazette in the run up to the June election, he gave the Conservative Party one out of ten for transparency, honesty and access for journalists.
Picture: Reuters/Peter Nicholls
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