Emily Maitlis in trouble with BBC for re-tweeting Piers Morgan’s anti-Tory tweet

Emily Maitlis has been reprimanded by her BBC bosses after retweeting Piers Morgan’s anti-Tory tweet. Piers’ government rant seemed to be supported by the newsreader, who re-shared it to her followers.

But she was told that she breached impartiality rules by retweeting his post. Piers wrote: “If failing to quarantine properly is punishable by 10yrs in prison, what is the punishment for failing to properly protect the country from a pandemic?”

Emily deleted the retweet ten minutes earlier this year. However, after posting it in February, someone complained to the BBC – and now she has been told off. It is the second time she has fallen foul of the code of conduct during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The BBC’s editorial complaints department upheld the case made against her. A statement read: “The retweeted material was clearly controversial, implying sharp criticism of the Government and there was nothing in the surrounding context to make clear that Ms. Maitlis was not endorsing it.”

In May last year, Emily found herself at the center of headlines due to an opening statement on Newsnight hitting out at the behavior of former prime ministerial advisor Dominic Cummings. Saying that Cummings “broke the rules”, Emily concluded: “The country can see that and is shocked the government cannot.”

Despite praise from many viewers, the BBC ruled that it did not meet their standards of impartiality. The BBC issued a statement in a tweet that read: “The BBC must uphold the highest standards of due impartiality in its news output.” The broadcaster went on to say “we aim to say so if we think we have overstepped the mark.”

However, Piers leaped to Emily’s defense and criticized the position that the BBC took. He tweeted: “Emily told the truth & it’s pathetic of the BBC to throw her to the wolves like this. Fortunately, my ITV bosses are made of tougher stuff.”

The pair have known each other for years and have regularly been seen enjoying parties and social gatherings together. Emily told The Tatler: “I think of Piers as someone who’s incredibly loyal. I know if I was in prison, Piers Morgan would come and see me.

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but he’d be there. And I like the fact that I can have a row with him without it affecting our friendship – I don’t think I’ve ever had dinner with him without it ending in a massive row.”