Scottish daily newspaper The National hit out at the BBC today for “defending Tory austerity” after its chief political editor claimed the government was being forced into the cuts because the UK has “no money left”.
Speaking on the BBC’s Politics Live, Laura Kuenssberg said there was “absolutely eye-wateringly enormous” levels of public borrowing in a broadcast yesterday, adding: “This is the credit card, the national mortgage, everything absolutely maxxed out.”
Her rhetoric was accused of being “absolute twaddle” in the newspaper and of laying the foundations for a return to Tory austerity.
Frances Coppola, an economics expert and Financial Times contributor, told them that Kuenssberg “should have kept her trap shut and let [Faisal Islam] explain the economics”. “That is his job.”
The broadcaster’s chief political editor has been accused of talking ‘absolute twaddle’ https://t.co/BfoiV0EKys
— The National (@ScotNational) November 26, 2020
She went on: “Laura Kuenssberg talking absolute twaddle on Politics Live.
“Repeating the ‘no money left’ nonsense … Talking about ‘maxed-out national credit cards’.
“BBC Politics, this is an utter disgrace and totally irresponsible. Please educate your reporters in basic economics.”
Coppola said the situation had been “made worse by economically illiterate commentary on the BBC”.
She added: “When the BBC continually broadcasts economic nonsense it is hardly surprising that people know little about economics.
“The state broadcaster has a responsibility to educate and inform. It is failing to do so.”
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