Tory MP blasts BBC accusing them of trying to get ministers to resign live on Radio 4’s Today programme

• The BBC have been accused of trying to get ministers to resign on radio
• Sussex MP Maria Caulfield tweeted a revealing text from a BBC producer
• The text asks if she is considering resigning and if she would do it ‘live on air’

The BBC have been accused of trying to persuade ministers to resign from government while live on air.

An MP furiously tweeted a text from someone claiming to be a producer on the corporation’s flagship Today programme, which asked if she would quit while on the radio.

More than 30 ministers have resigned from government so far over the PM’s handling of the Chris Pincher fiasco, including Bim Afolami who did so while live on TalkTV.

Maria Caulfield, MP for Lewes and a junior bag carrier in the Department of Health, hit out at the BBC for thinking the situation was all a ‘big game’.

She had been invited to speak on the Radio 4 show, but instead declined and posted a message online.

MP Maria Caulfield (pictured) blasted the BBC after a producer asked if she was thinking of resigning and whether she would consider doing it live on air

The text message (pictured) says an on air resignation would be ‘even better’ than

Posting the message online, it read: ‘I appreciate you may well be staying in place but if you are planning on resigning we’d be very keen to get an interview with you – a resignation live on air would be even better.

‘Please do let me know in confidence if that’s something you’d consider.’

Ms Caulfield said: ‘These are very difficult times for all of us working night and day for our constituents.

‘Unfortunately for the BBC, it’s just one big game.’

The Sun reported that a furious senior government source said: ‘This type of gotcha journalism is a long way from public service broadcasting the public expects from the BBC.

‘It once again goes to their impartiality when reporting on this government and verges on the absurd.’

The BBC programme may have been trying to replicate Hitchin and Harpenden MP Bim Afolami’s resignation on TV last night.

The Tory Party’s vice chairman said on TalkTV last night: ‘I think that what’s been very sad over recent allegations about the former deputy chief whip and other things that have happened over recent weeks, I just don’t think the prime minister has, not just my support, but the support of the party or the country anymore.

‘And I think for that reason he should step down.’

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