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ITV's Robert Peston accuses Vote Leave of 'mad slur' against him Boris Johnson willing to take on Cameron amid Vote Leave debate row
(about 3 hours later)
Robert Peston, the ITV political editor, has accused the official campaign to leave the EU of issuing a “mad slur” against him, as it threatened legal action to stop a live television event featuring David Cameron and Nigel Farage. Boris Johnson has declared he is prepared to take on the prime minister in an EU referendum debate but refused to back the official out campaign’s attack on ITV’s event featuring David Cameron and Nigel Farage.
ITV invited the Ukip leader to take part because it believed the prime minister would not agree to appear in the same programme as his Conservative colleagues Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, who are the leading figures for Vote Leave. Johnson is a leading member of the Vote Leave group, which released two furious statements on Wednesday night implying it would seek retribution against ITV and launch legal action for not being invited to the debate, as well as suggesting that Cameron would not be in No 10 much longer.
Related: Vote Leave lambasts ITV over EU debate between Cameron and Farage
The former London mayor would not join the attacks, merely saying he would be happy to debate with anyone. He also distanced himself from the suggestion that Cameron would soon be leaving Downing Street, saying it was complete nonsense to say the referendum would lead to a change of government.
One of the Vote Leave statements questioned the impartiality of ITV and Robert Peston, its political editor. Peston dismissed this as untrue and a “mad slur” against him. Vote Leave also suggested ITV would regret its behaviour as the current incumbents of No 10 would not be around for much longer.
On Thursday morning, the campaign group had slightly tempered its tone, but a spokesman continued to threaten legal action against ITV for putting up the Ukip leader as Cameron’s opponent instead of one of its leading figures like Johnson or Michael Gove.
Asked about the Vote Leave statements, Johnson initially claimed he had not read them as he arrived at a steel factory in Christchurch, Dorset. But pressed further after a speech, he dismissed the row as “microcosmographica” and urged people to stop obsessing over the debates.
“I would much rather talk abut the issues that matter to the people of the country and the great choice that we face in a few weeks’ time,” he said. “The more we bang on about who is going to be talking to whom in the debate, the more people’s eyes will frankly glaze over.
“We need to focus on choice, and the choice is between freedom and I think an endlessly more bureaucratic regime; it’s between democracy and bureaucracy, and it’s between the future and the past.”
However, Vote Leave plans to continue to fight ITV’s decision to let Farage be the voice of the out campaigners in the programme, which will see the two politicians interviewed separately in front of a studio audience.
ITV invited the Ukip leader to take part because it believed the prime minister would not agree to appear in the same programme as Johnson and Gove. Johnson had also initially suggested he did not want debate against other senior Tories before appearing to shift his position.
On Thursday, Johnson said he was happy to debate Cameron or anyone else head to head, having already said it would be “wet” and “wimpy” to refuse to take on anyone, but he would not apply those terms to the prime minister.
“I am happy to debate anybody within reason,” he said. “I will do whatever. I think the most important thing is that this subject of personalities and debates doesn’t start to dominate the next few weeks.”
The Guardian can also reveal that Cameron and the chancellor, George Osborne, are refusing to appear in the BBC’s headline pre-election programme at Wembley Arena to avoid turning the referendum into a “blue on blue” battle.The Guardian can also reveal that Cameron and the chancellor, George Osborne, are refusing to appear in the BBC’s headline pre-election programme at Wembley Arena to avoid turning the referendum into a “blue on blue” battle.
A Vote Leave source accused ITV of stitching up the debate, claiming the broadcaster had now “effectively joined the official in campaign”, and warning that it would face consequences when there was a new team in Downing Street. The row came after ITV and Sky News unveiled their plans for the run-up to the referendum. Sky will host shows with Cameron and Gove – but on separate days.
“ITV is led by people like Robert Peston who campaigned for Britain to join the euro,” said the source, who wanted the channel to put up one of Vote Leave’s leading figures, such as Johnson or Gove, rather than the Ukip leader. Cameron is prepared to take part in programmes but, as in the 2015 election campaign, is reluctant to do anything head to head. A senior Conservative source said: “This argument is not about a Tory civil war, it is about the position you take on Europe, and the public deserve to hear that.” He said Cameron did not want the arguments to be seen through an internal party lens.
An official statement from the group added: “Since the campaign began, ITV has also given twice as much airtime to the in campaign than to the leave campaign.” Related: Boris Johnson willing to take on Cameron amid Vote Leave debate row
An ITV source hit back. “We are confident that our news coverage has been balanced throughout the campaign.” He pointed out that Johnson had been given a three-and-a-half-minute slot on the News at Ten on Wednesday night, while there was an Iain Duncan Smith interview the night before.
The broadcaster is likely to have been persuaded to invite Farage rather than Gove or Johnson because it knew that was the only way the prime minister would appear.
The extraordinary row came after ITV and Sky News unveiled their plans for television programmes in the run-up to the referendum. Sky will host shows with Cameron and Gove – but on separate days.
Cameron is prepared to take part in programmes but, as in the 2015 election campaign, is reluctant to do anything head to head. A senior Conservative source said: “This argument is not about a Tory civil war, it is about the position you take on Europe, and the public deserve to hear that.” He admitted that Cameron did not want the arguments to be seen through an internal party lens.
Farage, who is linked to Grassroots Out, a rival leave campaign that did not receive the official designation, said he was “deeply disappointed” by the reaction of Vote Leave.Farage, who is linked to Grassroots Out, a rival leave campaign that did not receive the official designation, said he was “deeply disappointed” by the reaction of Vote Leave.
A senior source linked to Vote Leave sent out a statement on Wednesday night that said: “ITV has lied to us in private while secretly stitching up a deal with Cameron to stop Boris Johnson or Michael Gove debating the issues properly.” He said Peston had campaigned for Britain to join the euro.A senior source linked to Vote Leave sent out a statement on Wednesday night that said: “ITV has lied to us in private while secretly stitching up a deal with Cameron to stop Boris Johnson or Michael Gove debating the issues properly.” He said Peston had campaigned for Britain to join the euro.
“ITV has effectively joined the official in campaign and there will be consequences for its future – the people in No 10 won’t be there for long.”“ITV has effectively joined the official in campaign and there will be consequences for its future – the people in No 10 won’t be there for long.”
Peston rejected the allegations on Twitter, branding them a “mad slur”.Peston rejected the allegations on Twitter, branding them a “mad slur”.
Apart from mad slur on me and ITV, did Gove and Boris approve threat at end that @David_Cameron will be out soon? pic.twitter.com/T3EtZA0eqPApart from mad slur on me and ITV, did Gove and Boris approve threat at end that @David_Cameron will be out soon? pic.twitter.com/T3EtZA0eqP
He added:He added:
So, & I can hardly believe I need to say this, I never campaigned for the euro & ITV is wholly impartial in EU referendum debateSo, & I can hardly believe I need to say this, I never campaigned for the euro & ITV is wholly impartial in EU referendum debate
Michael Crick, Channel 4 News’s political correspondent, asked Johnson about the Vote Leave source’s statement as he visited a steel site in Dorset on Thursday. Johnson claimed he had not read it, adding: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
On Thursday morning, Vote Leave released an official statement with a slightly more tempered tone but it made clear the campaign was still considering legal action to stop the debate.
A spokesman said: “The government has set all the rules for the referendum to give itself every possible advantage. It has also demanded of the broadcasters that the prime minister should not have to debate representatives from the official leave campaign.
“ITV has accepted the prime minister’s demands without even discussing it with the official campaign and has allowed the prime minister to dictate his own opponent. Since the campaign began, ITV has also given twice as much airtime to the in campaign than to the leave campaign.”
An ITV spokeswoman said: “ITV has not lied to anyone, nor has there been any kind of ‘stitch-up’.
“It was our editorial decision as to who would take part in the 7 June programme; the PM called the referendum, and the country wants to hear from him, and Nigel Farage has been a leading proponent of an exit from the EU for more than 20 years and his party received 3.8m votes at the election. We invited them both and they accepted.”
The broadcaster is allowing Vote Leave to choose all three of the out campaigners who will appear in another debate programme two days after Cameron appears.
Although it will be called Cameron and Farage Live, the two men will appear in separate half-hour segments divided by an ad break.
The ITV programmes will be preceded during the previous week by his participation in an hour-long Sky News programme in which he will face questions from the channel’s political editor, Faisal Islam, and a studio audience.
A later Sky programme will see questions posed to Gove, the justice secretary.
The BBC announced in February that it would air three major debates in the run-up to the referendum, including the major live event at Wembley Arena on 21 June.
The seven EU referendum ‘debates’ in fullThe seven EU referendum ‘debates’ in full
There are at least seven EU referendum “debate” programmes planned by the major broadcasters. Here is the full list:There are at least seven EU referendum “debate” programmes planned by the major broadcasters. Here is the full list:
Thursday 19 May – A BBC programme aimed at young voters, broadcast from Glasgow and hosted by Victoria Derbyshire. Further details are not available yet.Thursday 19 May – A BBC programme aimed at young voters, broadcast from Glasgow and hosted by Victoria Derbyshire. Further details are not available yet.
Thursday 2 June – Sky’s first referendum programme, with David Cameron for remain being interviewed in front of a live audience for an hour.Thursday 2 June – Sky’s first referendum programme, with David Cameron for remain being interviewed in front of a live audience for an hour.
Friday 3 June – Sky’s second programme, with Michael Gove for leave being interviewed in front of a live audience for an hour.Friday 3 June – Sky’s second programme, with Michael Gove for leave being interviewed in front of a live audience for an hour.
Tuesday 7 June - ITV’s Cameron/Farage “debate”, although David Cameron and Nigel Farage will be interviewed separately by Julie Etchingham in front of a studio audience during the hour-long programme.Tuesday 7 June - ITV’s Cameron/Farage “debate”, although David Cameron and Nigel Farage will be interviewed separately by Julie Etchingham in front of a studio audience during the hour-long programme.
Thursday 9 June – ITV’s second event. This will be a proper two-hour debate, chaired by Etchingham, with figures from leave and remain. The list of participants has not been finalised, but Boris Johnson has been invited.Thursday 9 June – ITV’s second event. This will be a proper two-hour debate, chaired by Etchingham, with figures from leave and remain. The list of participants has not been finalised, but Boris Johnson has been invited.
Wednesday 15 June - A BBC Question Time event, moderated by David Dimbleby, featuring a senior figure from leave and remain. It is expected that they will be questioned separately, as happened during the 2015 election leaders special.Wednesday 15 June - A BBC Question Time event, moderated by David Dimbleby, featuring a senior figure from leave and remain. It is expected that they will be questioned separately, as happened during the 2015 election leaders special.
Tuesday 21 June - The final BBC event, two days before the referendum, filmed in front of a huge audience at the SSE Arena in Wembley. David Dimbleby, Mishal Husain and Emily Maitlis will present. The plan is for the debate to feature three figures from each side, but No 10 is particularly unhappy about this proposal, because it does not want Tories debating Tories, and claims the large audience could make it rowdy.Tuesday 21 June - The final BBC event, two days before the referendum, filmed in front of a huge audience at the SSE Arena in Wembley. David Dimbleby, Mishal Husain and Emily Maitlis will present. The plan is for the debate to feature three figures from each side, but No 10 is particularly unhappy about this proposal, because it does not want Tories debating Tories, and claims the large audience could make it rowdy.