Read this: Partygate - is the story over?

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts, this is the media show from BBC Radio 4 hello and welcome Welsh report is out and she details what went on and Downing Street during the pandemic.

We know the staff broke covid rules with the approval of their bosses 2 grey also details excess drinking one person being sick the abuse of cleaning and security staff all events Sue grey says that should not have been allowed to happen and Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been taking journalist in the last hour is some of what he said.

I thought the things that I was attending work events at I thought that my job is to to thank people for their admission to public lighter to the government service but we all make mistakes and the Genesis of this.

Saga is old school journalism a Daily Mirror front page last December started it with the words Boris party broke covid rules then the following week ITV News release the video number 10 AIDS joking about the party and a Subaru herself rights in a report details of some of the adventure investigated only became known to her because of reporting the media so we can explore the role of the media in the whole partygate story but just in case you're sick of hearing about partygate will also go to talk to Anneka Rice because she's been brought back with a new series of Challenge Anneka CCP on the media show to hire a great day.

Speak to you and and I have to say I was very excited when I heard that the media she has a small part in the story of your return because I love them and I was listening to and talking to our Channel 5.

There's a whole half hour dedicated to him.

Smackdown thinking this is a man who runs on Eastington spontaneity, and I and I haven't sorted come across that sort of Spa for quite a long time and I I reckon it because when I first saw challenge 30 years ago to the BBC Michael grade had that spark because I just went with a whole new format you just went I trust you going where me and you know that's where I'm sorry recognised something so someone put Ben and I like and I together and the rest of his to thank you well.

I'll pass the facts on time.

I like the thanks.

I'll behalf of myself and I got lots of questions about the return of Challenge Anneka we'll get that a little later in this edition of the media.

So great to have you on it but we are going to start with partygate because the soup is out Boris Johnson holds a press conference he also made a statement in the House of Commons earlier and respond to questions from MPs from both sides of the floor, let's explore where the Mead

It's into the story with Stephen Glover a columnist at the Daily Mail David yelland form editor of The Sun who now runs the communications firm kitchen table Partners and Ayesha hazarika, the broadcast journalist and former advisor to some senior Labour Party politicians if I could start with you.

How do you assess the evolution of this story will I think it is a Triumph 4000 fashion journalism and also like talk about me know.

That's the story and Maureen kiss and is the ledged antiques in in Durham and on one hand we got the Daily Mirror which basically you say that broke the plot against story and then we got the Daily Mail which pursue the Beard story for weeks without anybody register your much notice and it seems to make a good example of how the partisan press can work very well in a democratic.

Stream we need more even-handed warfare mind and newspapers but actually was only because the Daily Mirror hated Boris Johnson the story would said and energy and was only because the male has similar feelings about that.

Is it is a way that story for even longer before the rest of the media took it up so I think so good example of how to use papers by being partisan as long as they have some sort of banter and she knows it is the Democratic process surprisingly.

Well.

I should do agree with that the parties and nature of some parts of the press is actually a crucial engine to this kind of journalism is not about being part as an good journalism is

Stephen referred that all fashioned type of journalism, which is you taking the time building up good contacts putting the working checking out the everything corroborate sunanda, Crusoe Pippa Crerar do a fantastic job on this but also Barnard Castle which he worked on with the Guardian I mean ITN News is not seen as a part as an organisation and Paul brand has done a fantastic job and I think would it points to is the fact that I think number 10 have been a bit shocked because I think there are some of the press particularly on the right who have been supplicant to number 10 and I think they have been quite shocked at the tenacity with which a lot of these papers have broadcasters have stuck with a story and I'm afraid absolutely push back against some false equivalence £125 at Downing Street vs.

One beer in Durham which the police did investigate they said nothing to see here.

Let's see what they say, but I think this is the daily Meal kind of collaborating with number 10 to push out this false equivalence line which I'm afraid.

I don't think washers with the public interest to ask you about that.

Do you feel the male is collaborating with number 10 or simply putting across interceptors to Boris Johnson that was the stuff about expensive wallpaper and he would pay for it now.

I think I think the male is perfectly Justified in the case and clearly means receipt there was it wasn't that you can if you're right.

There's no equivalents then people will say will find you know it's much more serious.

What's happening.

I think a lot of people are interested about what happened to the front of the Durham please reopen the case and Keir starmer's oversee the exercise, but it's been a new anyone's edited the sun you now communications firm.

I wonder how you view the first of all the work that the media turn on the story but also how it fits into the political persuasions of the different papers.

I think it's without there is no doubt whatsoever that we used to call Fleet Street has been enforcing is at the acting as important for Downing Street and then there's no there's no question about that.

I mean Daily Mail is professional you run then and down the street and is extremely good at what he does but what he does but the fact is that this morning but 9 out of 14?

Wakes up to the beginning of this month you know that is a absolutely I think it was probably and I mean you know just on on Monday you know we had the Daily Mail the first paragraph was playing politics have a party last night.

She wasn't and Stephen so you're not here as a representative of the Daily Mail you're here as a columnist of the Daily Mail but I wonder if you had any point of felt uncomfortable with the point of emphasis, how much emphasis has gone Keir starmer in Durham vs.

Say not putting the the photo.

GB news obtained of Boris Johnson having a drink most papers put there on the front page earlier this week the Daily Mail didn't play The Daily Mail has given me hard time so specifically at the beginning of this isn't getting on and on and on and in the end, they made a story and the proof of that is it was then reported by the BBC and other media and if that is some thoughts on how the mail is approached this story at David you've already alluded to how the government's approach to Irish I wonder how you were assessed, the government's Media strategy since this began early.

What I think what's really interesting about how the government has handled it is they've mishandled it right from the beginning.

I've been thinking today.

Why do they do that because of course we wouldn't be here today with all this Collateral Damage been done to Boris Johnson's reputation the reputation of number 10 as an institution that cockpit of government and British politics and the damage done to the broader Conservative Party if right at the outset Boris Johnson number 10 have said you know what we did fess up.

We did have a bit of a gathering really really sorry.

I hold my hands up.

We shouldn't have done it.

Everyone's you know we've had a word with everybody would deeply deeply sorry ironically and I never thought these are words like that a Gavin Williamson sort of played it right because he had been caught having a bit of a gathering he said stop sorry the world moved on but I'm just wondering now perhaps number 10 at that point did know that it wasn't just

A1 of party now, will we see the scale of it? They have sought to do is to mislead then double down and I think this is the problem and it's just a couple of things Boris Johnson said he never knowingly mislaid the House of Commons or indeed anyone else he also says he said so today that he didn't appreciate the scale of what happened inside Downing Street he said today that he has been surprised by some of the things that but he's learnt now appreciate you going to do with that but it's important point that out David do you agree with the government should have said yeah.

We made a mistake earlier on I'm not entirely convinced that would have kept the Daily Mirror and others off its case well, turn it around the question is why did the press office feel that it was on touchable? Why did it feel that you can become any of these parties by the way in that office with the with those people one of the parties was celebrated.

What's a bit leader to go off by the editor of my old paper the sun ask you why would you feel untouchable in that situation because you got the prime minister's you as your boss has just gone off to the papers about the coming together of the media and political class as stated a untouchable group of people that the existing Alastair Campbell close to the sun so close, but that is dangerous in an anti-democratic.

I think I know you have to go in a minute not least because you've got some writing to do I would be interested.

I'm sure people listening would be interested to know the process of producing a column for the Daily Mail do you simply write it send it off and go here.

How far is there a to-and-fro with the editor or one of the Editors below him about the angle that you're taking on a story then she speaks to the editor and a choice is made between two idea as and maybe occasions and then I might talk to you later.

When we get to see it tomorrow.

Will let you go we really appreciate you joining us and there's been a busy day in all newsrooms around the country that Stephen Glover writing another column as he often does for the Daily Mail you can read that in tomorrow's addition.

They would let me explore this a bit more because you're saying that the relationship between certainly.

Buzz and Number 10 is to close, but there might be some people thinking hold on a minute papers like the sun even when you're in charge of it made a point of getting close to people in power because in many ways it made sense.

What's a different here and there isn't it? Just is just right forward newspaper support a lot just the two of us anytime you're close to these people you know I've never known a paper at the moment that is closer to a prime minister than that than the Daily Mail I'm not quite sure why that is it is clear that there's lots of independence people like.

Do you know exactly what he likes but there isn't this way if this is a labour prime minister have gone he will not here she would not survive having the tabloids of Telegraph of the Times banging on is only because the support email tomorrow will be more professional in supporting, but it is also.

I mean you're saying if a labour prime minister when the sea is worth pointing out the Boris Johnson is a an unusual politician and I don't mean that in a judgemental way it simply true that proves more resilient and moments of pressure than many other Politician's and that's not necessarily weather is conservative or or labour.

It's maybe more particular to his character.

Are you should I just bring you in here? This is a question we often explore on the media show the degree today.

Media actually influences politics or simply mirror we know from lots of Boris Johnson supporters today that they've said look Mr Johnson's apologise.

It's time to move on to focus on other challenges.

Who do you think decides if we all do move on does the media decide that does have a big role to play in the sort of anatomy of a story and the media in this case have been incredibly dogged with this story because there is a chance that this story could have but John Lewis did keep pushing it but the other thing which is interesting about this story is that clearly it's it's it's a symbol of how does functional Downing Street has become because I'm in the Press Office I work there under Gordon Brown also work there under Tony Blair and there was a real sport festival.

We will not have that kind of level of partying.

It wasn't like freshers week when I was working at down.

But secondly we were a very very tight team from the Civil right from the from the cleaning staff to the people working in the kitchens to the civil servants to the special advisers to the does to the prime minister.

It was a really tight ship so the fact that all these leaks have been coming out in a sustained way tells you that number 10 is not a happy ship now.

We know that because of all the personnel changes and there has been a lot of it's been like stormy clouds over Downing Street but for quite some time, but what I think is true.

Is that there isn't a partisanship, but I think it's too lazy to see that because I think most of the broadcasters do not have a particular agenda.

They are looking at this because is a legitimate story to prove well.

I want to ask you about the broadcasters in particular the BBC in the moment, but they would help me out with some context here as she was saying that the volume of leaks coming out during the story.

Sabrina dysfunctioning number 10 has the volume of links to the story really outstripped the kind of leaves that we would have seen during any other political scandals.

Yes, I think I think it would be an example of that seems to be in Sue greys report touches on this generation of very entitled people in and around down the street that seem to know all the same kind of people been to the same school the same university and they seem to think I have a right to be there and don't respect the fact that you are there in the missus most extraordinary playlist that is the prime minister's he doesn't know anybody that didn't go to the school.

He doesn't know that but I think that's well.

I'm sure the Prime Minister was he does know people who didn't go to those schools, but let's pick up on your alluded to Laura kuenssberg.

Panorama which broadcast on the BBC spoke to the number of number 10 staff as some of whom attended some of these gatherings detailed in Sue Grays report, I wonder both of you Asia and David what your assessments are of how the BBC has fitted into this story because some people reacted to Laura kuenssberg Panorama and said what are these are significant scoops but actually through the party story many of the scoops have been coming via by the ITV news or the mirror should be read anything into that Aisha will it's interesting looking at the the we.bbc has covered and the mood towards the BBC quite a lot of the animal goes back to Barnard Castle when the storybrooke about Dominic Cummings and Laura kuenssberg and the BBC receive quite a lot of the season for reporting sources close to Dominic cumming said XYZ and there was a huge accusation of the BBC Bean

For a Dominic Cummings at Anfield for people right at the height of Downing Street know some of that is slightly unfair because if you are a lovely generous part of your job is to get information and get it out.

You're not there to make an editorial decision on it.

You are there and then people can commit their minds up but I do think it was important for the BBC to do this Panorama investigation and I think that has redeemed the BBC in a lot of people's eyes and before I bring you in Dover died, so first of all the panoramas available on iPlayer of people would like to watch it did invite Laura kuenssberg to come on the media show but she wasn't able to David Bowie your thoughts on how the BBC is taken on the story well.

I think post-brexit where the BBC was accused of being unfair because it true that the BBC has been going through transition of leadership leadership in the last.

That's part of it.

I think they've been very steady as she goes type of thing and I think the BBC looks a little bit is the only child now completely and Talk TV and GB news launched you flick between there when you go back to the BBC and it looks slightly less.

It's because it's because I think the last night was excellent actually and isn't it interesting and when people have got stories to tell they will go to the BBC say.

No, then I'm going to be that they will be fair David thank you very much for sharing your thoughts on partygate.

You're both going to stay with us, but we're going to do a pretty shark turn away from UK politics and down the street.

I'm going to talk about this.

I know I will be coming for the next few hours Channel 5 is returning Challenge Anneka to British TV screens 30 years after the original series first Anneka Rice is still with us.

She's been telling us to some extent came about after the head of Channel 5 is on the media show a couple of years ago could have you back with us and I'm trusting you're going to be using the theme music again.

You're not changing that anyway change that has been the wonderful thing about working with Ben because he's but he just wants it analogue does not to go to digital on this when we first had a zoom chat about it didn't even get my video screen up and he just went don't worry I remember what you look like and it was great.

I look like now.

I wasn't about how many Twitter followers I have which isn't very many.

Just wanted to show and we spoke for a long time about The Legacy of it is really interested that I'm still has been with life's work all those projects and still going strong and I'm very involved them.

So it was it was a brother pressure.

You know you're loaded to it at the Beginning when I heard them on the media show and I I just I've just got back Instinct goodness and the spontaneity of him and he is someone will just go with an idea and that is good old-fashioned produce a choice which we used to have when I used programmes in the 80s and 90s whereby you made a programme because you would just have to make that program by the broadcast and Michael Bray just said ok and her number for my girlfriend never had any contact with the BBC just delivered the program each week and that was it.

Where is now there's a there's a lot of committee stages and focus groups and being so I think Ben and the end.

Alchemy that you know we've got together like this, so I can tell you one person's excited is Aisha cos we were talking about this a little bit earlier this Anika when I was growing up.

I absolutely loved Challenge Anneka I thought you were absolutely brilliant you like an icon to me and I loved you dipping in and out of all the helicopters.

We could jumps know your headphones and things like that, so I'm really excited about so I'm very pleased to be honest when we launched it this week.

I put up a very childish tweet which I thought would get about 3 people.

That's it just took out I wasn't prepared for but it had your sentiment there is exactly what people are feeling just such an absolute affection and nostalgia and I think you know we we owe it to that audience and the younger one who's coming come through because now people your age 1 kids and they're watching it.

And so life goes on to keep it as it was because actually at the end of the day.

It's not about to give me and maybe getting someone from love Island to be my friend is Communities that the power of the collective it's it's Harnessing the power of make a difference.

That's what it's about if you haven't seen this video on wearing the traditional challenge an outfit so I assume that's coming back.

Yes, probably know I've no idea but they will be in bed answer questions that that's a good way to keep people guessing is the series approaches and there will be some people probably not that many but some people who know the format so just explains what channel 5 sign up for hear the issue might be homeless or you know.

Is any is disability and shining a light on it in a way that works as a piece of entertainment as well, that's the skill of the program and it involves the whole community coming together.

No more changes hand it's all donated goods and it's a bit like people volunteer and they feel they running away to the circus to come and come and join in this huge collective power of the collective effort and it is very close to be part of something like that.

I've been I put a smile on my face I can hear your voice to a bit because there is volunteers and those people in touch with the most bestest projects are going strong and young volunteers in are coming along and it's a circle.

I think I can get this question, but I'm going to ask her anyway.

Are you nervous nervous? No, I can't wait because of what I do every day around the world involved in.

Sales rep version for ABC in America with Erin Brockovich we built a peace garden post 9/11 for the farm and family it's it's run through me like I said middle of a stick of rock.

I've only a few seconds when's it on to be announced all about it? We watching it David I'm going to be tuning in play strictly and Sons what television about it.

It's been a pleasure speaking to all of you.

Thank you very much for making time for us on today's Media show there's David yelland the former editor of the country now runs the communications firm kitchen table partnerships and the price of courses can be back with Challenge Anneka on Channel 5 very soon also.

He has a Ricoh the broadcaster and journalist.

Play earlier we heard from Stephen Glover who's a columnist at the Daily Mail that is it for this edition of the media showed you remember you can listen back to all of the auditions via BBC sounds note highlight that back in December just at the party gate story was starting we spoke to the two journalists who were driving it at that point pick a career of the Daily Mail and also Paul brand of ITV news for this edition.

No, thanks for your company will be back with you soon.