Boris Johnson’s new advisers are urging ministers to avoid Radio 4’s Today programme as they believe the programme is a ‘total waste of time’.
According to the Mail on Sunday the new director of communications at Downing Street Lee Cairn has advised his colleagues to stop putting up ministers to appear on the programme.
The proposal has the support of Dominic Cummings who is reported to have declared last week: “I never listened to the Today programme for the entire year of the referendum and I intend to repeat this while I am here.”
He said not to put ministers forward “unless they change format and actually start exploring serious subjects in a serious way”.
During Boris Johnson’s leadership campaign the only interviews he gave were with Sky News’ Sophy Ridge and the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg.
He refused to give an interview to Radio 4’s Today programme, instead turning up briefly on the station’s World At One.
There have been calls for a shake-up in the programme after John Humphrys announced his retirement earlier this year.
Ireland’s deputy prime minister last year accused the presenter of being a “spokesman for Boris Johnson” for his interview techniques that appeared to promote Johnson’s own political views.
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