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Telegraph readers on the Newsnight Emily Maitlis row - 'an Orwellian atrocity'

Emily Maitlis addresses students at the Cambridge Union Society  - Chris Williamson/Getty Images
Emily Maitlis addresses students at the Cambridge Union Society - Chris Williamson/Getty Images

BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis failed to appear on the programme on Wednesday evening after the BBC said her monologue about Dominic Cummings breached impartiality guidelines.

Ms Maitlis caused a political storm opening the BBC Two programme with the words: "Dominic Cummings broke the rules. The country can see that and it’s shocked the Government cannot." The BBC admitted that Maitlis's monologue "did not meet our standards of due impartiality."

Read on to see what your fellow Telegraph readers have to say and then share your own opinions in the comments section below.

‘The sooner the programme is dropped, the better’

@Peter Hawkes:

"Newsnight is a totally pointless biased diatribe of left-wing liberal wokery, as is the presenter. The sooner the programme and presenter are dropped, the better.

"I can’t wait to see the BBC privatised and the licence fee eliminated."

‘The Conservatives have themselves to blame’

@Darryl Webb:

"No sane person still believes the BBC is impartial as I am sure we will shortly find when the Brexit extension or another referendum campaign starts shortly.

"The Conservatives largely have themselves to blame for continuing to allow left-wing figures to dominate senior positions in public sector organisations."

‘The BBC is going to be cut loose soon’

@James Jeffery:

"It's so sad, that we see this level of unprofessional polemic described as 'savage journalism' by one Maitlis admirer. I'm a BBC supporter but they are going to be 'cut loose' soon and it'll be their own darned fault."

‘Maitlis is emblematic of BBC’s anti-Brexit tendency’

Carl Sanderson:

"During the 2016 referendum campaign the BBC was scrupulously fair. Once the result came in, however, all bets were off. Dimbleby’s ashen face appeared to be a signal to anyone at the BBC to begin working against the result.

"Maitlis’s intemperate and incautious monologue was emblematic of that tendency."

‘Cumming’s row has nothing to do with lockdown, but everything with Brexit’

Liz Oldfield:

"More evidence, as if we needed it, that this row is nothing to do with lockdown rules, but everything to do with Brexit.

"And the BBC is lapping it up. Shame on them."

Should the BBC TV licence fee be scrapped? POLL
Should the BBC TV licence fee be scrapped? POLL

‘I cancelled my licence fee and reading of this Orwellian atrocity makes it all seem worthwhile’

David Lowe:

"Over a year ago, when the BBC's anti-Brexit prejudice became too much, we cancelled our licence fee and registered as "listed non-payers".

"Signing up to this register and cutting the coax in the wall meant we could only watch non-live broadcast content, including Amazon Prime movies or Now TV.

"Reading of this latest Orwellian atrocity makes it all seem worthwhile."

'I have remnants of nostalgia for the once world-renowned BBC'

Sarah Curtis:

"I have remnants of nostalgia for the once world-renowned BBC. The days of Frost, Day, Walden. The superb drama and documentaries. The informative and thought-provoking news items.

"But, sadly, those days are gone."

'The editorial team should shoulder the blame'

Anthony Holden: 

"Ms Maitlis is fully entitled to her views, and in this country, thank goodness, the ability to express them freely. There are multiple organs of communication where she can do so freely and openly.

"However the BBC as a publicly funded broadcaster is not one of those communication vehicles.

"Ms Maitlis is unquestionably a good journalist with a commendable track record in investigative reporting. The BBC management and editorial team are well aware of this. The anger directed at her is understandable (especially the hypocrisy of her position on this and Cummings), but it is the editorial team that should shoulder the blame."

Do you think this was an example of bias or a legitimate opinion? Let us know what you think of this story in the comments section below.