Petrified Conservative Party ministers are refusing to be interviewed by Kay Burley after culture secretary Lucy Frazer and transport minister Huw Merriman both endured tough interviews.
The morning media rounds carried out by government spokespeople, which usually include time with channels such as the BBC, ITV and LBC, have been unusually devoid of Sky News of late due to some ruthless interrogating by presenter Burley.
On Monday, Frazer was left flummoxed when Burley asked her for examples of BBC bias after the government launched another crackdown on the corporation.
And things went from bad to worse on Tuesday for Merriman when, in response to the same question, he bizarrely identified the satirical Radio 4 show The News Quiz!
According to reports in the Huffington Post, Meriman’s interview has triggered a boycott of the Kay Burley show.
On Wednesday and Thursday – while ministers Kevin Hollinrake and Chris Philp were being interrogated on the likes of the BBC, GB News and Times Radio, no minister was made available to face Burley on Sky.
And on Friday – Burley’s day off – Treasury minister Gareth Davies did appear on the channel, where he was interviewed by highly respected broadcaster Anna Jones.
However, today – when Burley was back in the studio – health secretary Victoria Atkins was interviewed on a range of outlets, but not Sky News.
A No10 source insisted there was nothing unusual about the arrangement, telling HuffPost UK that morning broadcast interview rounds are alternated on a daily and weekly basis.
They also point out that business secretary Kemi Badenoch was made available for Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on Sky News yesterday, and that a minister will appear on the channel’s Politics Hub show tonight.
However, asked directly whether ministers have been effectively banned from being interviewed by Kay Burley, they did not comment.
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