Boris Johnson asked to 'stop talking' by Nick Robinson

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The Culture Secretary is said to have told allies that “Nick Robinson has cost the BBC a lot of money”. Mr Robinson was paid around £270,000-£274,999 by the BBC in 2020-2021, according to broadcasters’ latest figures.

Her views towards the broadcaster come as Ms Dorries is charged with overseeing the fate of the TV licence fee.

Nick Robinson was involved in a tense interview with the Prime Minister during the Conservative Party conference at the start of the month.

During the interview, Mr Johnson was interrupted during a long-winded answer on the supply chain crisis by Mr Robinson, who told him: “Prime Minister, you are going to pause.

“Prime Minister, stop talking, we are going to have questions and answers, not where you merely talk, if you wouldn’t mind.”

Mr Johnson responded: “I’m very happy to stop talking.”

Mr Robinson then asked him about business taxation.

Mr Robinson ended the interview telling Mr Johnson: “Thank you for talking to the Today programme and allowing the occasional question as well.”

The Prime Minister replied: “It’s very kind of you to let me talk […] I thought that was the point of inviting me on your show.”

After the interview, Tory MP Sir John Redwood tweeted: “When the PM had a good answer to a question, the BBC Today programme tried to stop him, asking a different question.

“BBC interviewers should allow an answer and pretend to be interested in the person they are interviewing. They seem to want to impose their view instead.”

The BBC later revealed it received 558 complaints on the grounds of bias over the interview.

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Ms Dorries, who previously described the BBC as “more in keeping with a Soviet-style country”, is believed to be taking a hard line in discussions with the broadcaster over the licence fee.

At a meeting with Tim Davie, BBC director general, and chair Richard Sharp last month, the newly-appointed Culture Secretary reportedly demanded reforms and greater monitoring of the balance of news programmes.

She also called on BBC bosses to address bias and elitism within the corporation.

A source told the Times: “They were both stunned and gulped down their tea.

“They thought she was just going to roll over.”

Asked at the Conservative Party conference whether the licence fee would still be compulsory in a decade or two, Ms Dorries replied: “I can’t look into the future. Will the BBC still be here in 10 years? I don’t know.

She added: “It is a very competitive environment at the moment.

“You have got Amazon Prime, Netflix and other bods coming down the line.

“This younger generation that are coming through, they certainly watch their television in a very different way to how my generation watched its TV, so who knows where we will be?”

Ms Dorries said she did not want a “war” with the broadcaster, but hinted it would have to show how it is to change before the next licence fee settlement, which covers five years from April next year.

The BBC declined to comment. The DCMS was also contacted for comment.

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