Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch was asked for her comment by journalist Nadine White on claims she had refused to take part in a cross-party video of Black MPs encouraging take up of the vaccine across Black communities.
Instead of answering the question by email, she took a leaf out of Trump's playbook by sharing the emails from the journalist on Twitter and accusing the journalist of "“sowing distrust” and “undermining” efforts to increase take-up of Covid-19 vaccines".
She gives a reasonable explanation of why she didn't take part, which she could have given by email rather than try to smear the journalist on Twitter.
Another leaf out of the Trump playbook and another example of this petulant, arrogant shitstain of a government trying to divide the population and shoot the messenger. Badinoch should publicly apologise to the journalist and resign.
Lots of Tories on Twitter backing Badinoch, calling the media divisive. After reading A Quiet Word: Lobbying, Crony Capitalism and Broken Politics in Britain, I do wonder if some lobbying organisation is involved in trying to create some kind of astroturfing support for the government. Or are many people on Twitter just that stupid?
It's also sinister that Number Ten are backing Badinoch, clearly trying to scare journalists into not criticising the government
Quizzed over Badenoch’s actions, Allegra Stratton, Boris Johnson’s press secretary, said Badenoch had “been civil to Nadine White”.
Stratton was unable to guarantee that other journalists who send routine emails to departments would not see them publicised via Twitter, saying only that Downing Street did not object to media questions. “You know you can always come to Downing Street and we will treat your questions and your challenges, as we are doing now, as fair, and we will always try to get back to you, and give you decent answers.”...
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/feb/01/no-10-defends-minister-criticised-huffpo-journalist-twitter-kemi-badenochThe NUJ have rightly condemed Badenoch:
Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary, said:
"Instead of condemning the unacceptable and uncalled for pillorying of a journalist simply doing her job, Number 10 has today dug in and defended a minister who should know better. Putting in questions to elected representatives is pretty standard journalistic practice and the response from Kemi Badenoch was frankly weird, completely out of order and an abuse of her privilege. As a result, Nadine has had to contend with a barrage of online and offline abuse and hostility.
"Elected representatives should be working to boost standards of public discourse, not indulging in petty outbursts that deepen hostility towards journalists and journalism."
https://www.nuj.org.uk/news/nuj-condemns-online-and-offline-abuse-of-nadine-white/https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/number-10-defends-minister-branding-23422623https://twitter.com/KemiBadenoch/status/1355129620467740672Nadine's editor comments:
https://twitter.com/jessbrammar/status/1355143685189627904
