Rishi Sunak appears set to reduce the number of appearances Government ministers make on the airwaves, with reported plans to end the current practice of frontbenchers being quizzed on TV and radio every morning.
The move was first reported by the Daily Mirror, which said the Government will provide a minister to be interviewed around three mornings every week, with a focus instead on appearing when there is an “announcement”.
The daily broadcast round typically sees a minister appear on BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, BBC Radio 4’s Today programme and other outlets to answer questions and defend the Government each weekday morning.
It is understood that Downing Street will take a “flexible” approach to appearances, with sources rejecting the suggesting the move amounts to an axing of the broadcast round.
Government decisions over whether or not to talk to broadcasters have proven controversial in recent years.
Boris Johnson’s administration was criticised in the wake of the 2019 general election for a boycott of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
