Steerpike

Although Nick Robinson claims the BBC no longer has a duty to be balanced over Brexit now the referendum has been won, what about Scottish independence? With 'IndyRef2' on the horizon indefinitely, Mr S was curious to note the approach Andrew Marr took to interviewing the SNP's Alex Salmond compared with unionist Ruth Davidson. When Davidson -- the leader of the Scottish Conservatives -- appeared on the Andrew Marr show last month, the BBC presenter gave her a grilling on her objections to the SNP's call for 'IndyRef2'. As Davidson tried to argue that there was no appetite for a second referendum in Scotland, Marr interrupted her at several points: https://www.youtube.com/watch?

Oh dear. Someone at The New European is about to have a very bad Easter break indeed. Although the pro-EU paper claims it is an advocate for unity and tolerance, it seems they hold no qualms about stirring up division in UK towns. In the press release for this week's issue of the newspaper, it's claimed that the cover story - which suggests Brexit could close down Skegness - presents a good opportunity to 'stir up some controversy locally'. The author goes on to muse that they 'don't suppose' they sell many copies in the seaside town: Sent out in error, brains at the paper have since sent out an amended press release without the commentary. Mr S suspects this blunder won't help boost sales of the paper in Skegness...

Oh dear. Today Jeremy Corbyn launched his new small business policy with a press conference at the Federation of Small Businesses. Alas things took a turn for the worse when the BBC's Mark Lobel attempted to ask the Labour leader about the situation in Syria: https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/851742140115726336 To dramatic effect, Corbyn walked out from behind his podium toward the reporter and snapped: 'I'm really sorry, this is a Federation of Small Business conference' -- before going on to claim his media team had let it be known there would be no questions on the issue during the presser. However, hacks at the event claim Corbyn's team were aware a question would be asked on Syria. So, was this conspiracy or cock-up?

They say a picture can paint a thousand words. So, it was a curious decision by Guardian columnist Owen Jones to wear a £1,080 jacket while discussing the 'crisis of capitalism' in an interview with GQ. Discussing the path to true socialism in a wide-ranging interview with Alastair Campbell, Jones rallies against inequality and Tory cuts: 'With the crash, the problem is a lot of social democratic parties accepted or implemented cuts. Spain, Greece - you saw a collapse in support.' Jones -- a former Corbyn cheerleader -- goes on to say that he always harboured doubts about Jeremy Corbyn's suitability as a leader: AC: Did you ever think he [Corbyn] could win a general election and be prime minister?

Oh dear. Last week the Times reported that brains at the Grauniad are pondering moving the paper’s offices back to Manchester in an attempt to save money. Although Mr S heralded the move the paper's best idea in decades, not everyone agrees. While Steerpike was sure the paper’s leading columnists would jump at the chance to up sticks and experience the Brexit divide first hand (and discover what led many to vote Leave in Greater Manchester), it seems the staff take a different view. Writing in the Guardian over the weekend, Peter Preston has poured cold water on the idea -- suggesting a return to Manchester would achieve very little: 'Industry wisdom would hold that all of Britain isn’t a big enough market in a digital world.

Diane Abbott suggested last year that some voters backed Brexit because they wanted to see 'less foreign-looking people on their streets'. On Question Time yesterday, she finally got her comeuppance. A furious Leave supporter took her to task on the show by asking her whether she had any remorse for her remarks. The audience member told her: ‘You say you respect the will of the people, but do you have any remorse or any apologies to make for the disgusting lie you made against me and millions of innocent people that voted Leave - that because they voted Leave, they don't like the look of foreign people and must be racist or a xenophobe.

This week Nick Robinson set the cat among the pigeons when he claimed that the BBC no longer has a duty to ‘broadly balance’ the views of Remain and Leave in its Brexit reports now that the EU referendum is over. However, many have questioned Robinson's so-called  'due impartiality' -- with 70 Eurosceptic MPs previously signing a letter accusing the BBC of a biased and ‘pessimistic’ view. But could the gloomy tone really be down to a sense of Brexit guilt? Mr S only asks after coming across Simon Jenkins' column in the Guardian on the monoculture at the BBC.