Boris Johnson’s former press secretary ‘threatened’ BBC
Guto Harri, a former press secretary to Boris Johnson, threatened to turn the UK press and government against the BBC over its alleged bias against Johnson – according to a series of emails leaked to the guardian.
The extraordinary attack saw Harr claim that “good friends in No 10” could be wheeled out against the organisation in a “huge public fight”.
Writing to Will Walden, the BBCs then Westminster news editor, Harri said: “Dear Will. We are all sick of this at City Hall, and increasingly at Number 10. BBC London is in danger of causing real problems to all of us.
Harri went on to demand that an interview with his unauthorised biographer, Sonia Purnell, be pulled at risk of provoking a backlash from the pro-Johnson press.
In a second email harri further railed against Purnell, complaining that the author was given carte blanche to "pontificate without challenge, qualification or allowing us a right to reply" pointing out that she "knows no one in No 10". "Please please please sort this out” pleaded Harri. “Or you leave me with no option but to use our friends in the papers to launch a public discussion about what this says about the BBC. And our good friends in No 10 are pretty trigger-happy too."
Harri has since announced that he is to become a director of communications at News International with Walden, ironically, accepting a job as Harri’s replacement.