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Emily Thornberry accuses Sky's Murnaghan of 'sexism' Emily Thornberry accuses Sky's Murnaghan of 'sexism'
(35 minutes later)
The shadow foreign secretary has accused a TV interviewer of "sexism" after he asked her to name the French foreign minister.The shadow foreign secretary has accused a TV interviewer of "sexism" after he asked her to name the French foreign minister.
Emily Thornberry criticised Sky News presenter Dermot Murnaghan for "pub-quizzing" her as they discussed Brexit talks, saying it was "patronising".Emily Thornberry criticised Sky News presenter Dermot Murnaghan for "pub-quizzing" her as they discussed Brexit talks, saying it was "patronising".
The Labour MP declined to name French minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, adding: "Can we talk about some serious stuff?"The Labour MP declined to name French minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, adding: "Can we talk about some serious stuff?"
Mr Murnaghan said he had asked male politicians similar questions.Mr Murnaghan said he had asked male politicians similar questions.
He went on to refer to the time in 2011 when he asked the then shadow chancellor Alan Johnson about national insurance rates - a question the Labour MP was unable to answer.
'Serious stuff'
Ms Thornberry was asked if she had taken part in any Brexit talks with her would-be counterparts in Germany and France, and then if she knew the name of the French foreign minister.
"Don't start pub quizzing me, Dermot," she said.
"Don't start pub quizzing me."
She was then asked again if she was able to name the minister.
Ms Thornberry said: "No and I'm not going to start answering your questions on this."
She added: "Do you know what, what really upsets me about your attitude to me is that you do this with me. I don't remember you doing it with anybody else you know.
"Have you done it to David Davis? Have you asked these questions? Do Sky journalists have a go at Boris Johnson on this basis? How about Liam Fox? Do you do pub quizzes with them?
"I mean honestly. Can we talk about some serious stuff?"
Ms Thornberry suggested that Mr Murnaghan should ask her questions about the situation in Syria or North Korea.
Trivialising?
Mr Murnaghan then asked her if she knew who the South Korean president was in relation to the recent news that North Korea had carried out a fifth nuclear blast.
"If you want me to go with you to a pub tonight and we can do a pub quiz tonight, let's do it."
She was then asked if knew the president's gender, she said: "I'm not getting drawn by you into this nonsense."
Her interview has sparked a wave of debate online.
Isabel Hardman, the assistant editor of The Spectator, tweeted: "Hum. Never realised I could just use "sexism" as a cover-all excuse for not doing my homework."
She later tweeted: "Seriously, though, sexism is still so rife and serious. This kind of thing trivialises it and makes it harder to fight."
Matt Chorley of the Times newspaper tweeted: "It would have been sexist if Murnaghan had asked Thornberry about Bake Off. Or her hairdresser. Not who she might talk to in government."
But the Labour MP Paul Flynn came to Ms Thornberry's defence and tweeted: "Possibility of nuclear war is a issue of vital importance that should not be trivialised by Murnaghan's cheap smart-aleck pub-quiz question."