Battle for the soul of GB News: Suspended Remainer host Guto Harri slams channel for moving to the 'far right' after his anti-racism protest was blamed for audience plunge - as Nigel Farage gets a show and promises never to take the knee

Suspended GB News presenter Guto Harri last night accused the 'anti-woke' TV channel of moving to the far-Right and claimed he was forced out after his on-air anti-racism protest was blamed for a plunge in viewers amid a viewer boycott.

Mr Harri, a former aide to Prime Minister Boris Johnson while he was Mayor of London, was publicly reprimanded by GB News executives and forced out after taking the knee in solidarity with black England football stars who received racist abuse after the Euros final.

Critics have previously pointed out how anyone who takes a knee, including police officers and sports stars, risks being seen to endorse some of the Left-wing ideas promoted by the Black Lives Matter movement as well as opposing racism.

In an extraordinary swipe at the TV channel, Mr Harri has now claimed GB News told him off for 'offending the lynch mob' despite him allegedly warning producers in advance that he was considering making the gesture. He claims he was given direction about how to take the knee by producers.

Writing in the Sunday Times, the pro-EU pundit said he was engulfed by a 'tsunami of disappointment, resentment and hate', adding: 'Old friends were amused to see me described as woke and Marxist. By Thursday night, the boss called and I'd been taken off air for the summer.'

Mr Harri also claimed: 'The channel is rapidly becoming an absurd parody of what it proclaimed to be. Rather than defending free speech and confronting cancel culture, it has set out to replicate it on the far-Right.'

And he continued to defend his actions, insisting that it was wrong to suggest his anti-racism protest was responsible for the decline in viewer numbers - which he claims 'dropped pretty swiftly after launch and kept slipping'.

In an article in 2016, Mr Harri vehemently protested against Brexit and argued that a Remain vote was vital for Wales, claiming the 'dream of Brexit is a wild fantasy' ahead of the referendum.

Mr Harri also previously wrote in a Cardiff University journalism blog where he revealed that he wanted to escape the 'straitjacket of impartiality' which was 'entirely appropriate for broadcasters but there's a time when some of us want to take sides'.

In a possible bid to revive audience ratings, former UKIP leader Nigel Farage is set to head up a new prime-time programme at 7pm from tomorrow. The Brexiteer has vowed not to take the knee and called on the public to support his new venture in a social media announcement.

Guto Harri: Ex-BBC correspondent and Remainer suspended for taking the knee on GB News

Presenter Guto Harri made headlines this week after taking the knee on GB News - to the fury of many of the channel's viewers.

It is the latest political statement from Harri, who in 2016 penned an article vehemently protesting against Brexit and arguing that a Remain vote was vital for Wales. He wrote that the 'dream of Brexit is a wild fantasy' ahead of the referendum.

Harri also previously wrote in a Cardiff University journalism blog where he revealed that he wanted to escape the 'straitjacket of impartiality' which was 'entirely appropriate for broadcasters but there's a time when some of us want to take sides'.

Born in Cardiff, Harri studied Policy, Politics and Economics at Oxford, before studying a masters in Broadcast Journalism at Cardiff University.

His education prompted an 18-year career at the BBC, where he started in Welsh-language radio.

He then fronted Welsh election programmes for the broadcaster before becoming a regular on several mainstream politics shows.

Harri covered the collapse of Communism in Romania, Czechoslovakia and East Germany before reporting on the Gulf War from Saudi Arabia, Jordan and northern Iraq. In November 2002, he became the BBC's Chief Political Correspondent.

After leaving the BBC in 2007, he turned down a job with David Cameron, instead joining a PR agency and serving as advisor to Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai for four weeks.

In May 2008, he was appointed Communications Director for Boris Johnson during his time as Mayor of London.

He joined Rupert Murdoch's News UK in May 2012 as Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs and was seen as being responsible for helping to reband the organisation in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal.

Harri has also held roles with Virgin Media owner Liberty Global, London PR firm Hanover Communications, for GQ Magazine and for Hydro Industries Limited.

Since June 2018 he has presented the S4C current affairs television programme, Y Byd yn ei Le.

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick. Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o

NowMyNews

Search This Blog