BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg, pictured at Labour conference in Brighton today, is being protected by a bodyguard
John McDonnell vowed to ‘sort’ Corbynistas abusing BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg today amid claims she has been given bodyguards for Labour conference.
The shadow chancellor said he would step in after Ms Kuenssberg was subjected to vitriol from left-wing supporters for asking difficult questions of Jeremy Corbyn.
The BBC have apparently decided to deploy a protection officer from the security firm they use with her at the Brighton conference this week. The bodyguard is thought to be an ex-soldier.
Asked about the situation on LBC radio this morning, Mr McDonnell said the abuse was ‘unacceptable’ and any activists found to be dishing it out would be disciplined.
He said the journalist should tell anyone who hassled her that ‘John McDonnell will sort them’.
It is at least the second time in the space of a year Ms Kuenssberg has had extra security measures placed upon her, as she was reportedly given more bodyguards during this years general election.
She has received a barrage of abuse for her coverage of Mr Corbyn, dating back to his dismal cabinet reshuffle at the start of 2016, which was later criticised for her coverage of Labour’s performance shocking performance at the local elections later that year.
And in the lead-up to the EU referendum last year, Labour supporters hissed at the BBC political editor when she asked Mr Corbyn a question about the workers rights.
Ms Kuenssberg was with Mr McDonnell this morning as he was interviewed by the BBC during his broadcast round
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell, pictured during a round of broadcast interviews today, has vowed to ‘sort’ the activists abusing Ms Kuenssberg
Deputy leader Tom Watson, who hard-left supporters have reportedly targetted for his alleged disloyalty to the party leader, said he was ’embarrassed’ by the hissing.
In a tweet last year, Mr Watson wrote: ‘I feel embarrassed that @bbclaurak was hissed in the course of doing her job today. It was rude and inappropriate.’
Mr Corbyn himself has previously claimed the BBC were ‘obsessed with trying to discredit him’ during a Vice News documentary.
He said: ‘There is not one story on any election anywhere in the UK that the BBC will not spin into a problem for me. It is obsessive beyond belief. They are obsessed with trying to damage the leadership of the Labour party.’
More than 35,000 people signed a petition calling for Ms Kuenssberg to be sacked by the BBC before it was taken down by campaign group 38 Degrees.
The group said: ‘That is totally unacceptable and, with the agreement of the petition starter, we’ve taken the petition down to prevent it being used in this way.
‘There is no place in the 38 Degrees family for sexism or any form of discrimination or hate speech.’
Ms Kuenssberg was hissed by Labour supporters when she asked the Mr Corbyn a question during the EU referendum campaign