ANDREW Neil has been accused of using “dog whistles” to attract a certain audience to GB news.
Appearing on Question Time in his first media outing since he quit as chair of GB news, the veteran broadcaster was scolded by writer and founder of the Black Writers Guild Nels Abbey.
Abbey brought out a picture of Neil next to a quote from the former BBC journalist, which appears to be from a column Neil wrote in the Sunday Express, that said: “Why Britain’s new TV news channel won’t be woke."
The tough exchange followed a question by an audience member asking if GB News will become the UK’s version of Fox News.
READ MORE: Question Time: Andrew Neil explains why he quit as GB News chairman
Responding, Neil said: “I had always been clear, it wouldn't be a British Fox News. And I think you could do something different without going anywhere near Fox.
“Fox deals in untruths, it deals with conspiracy theories, and it deals in fake news. That's not my kind of journalism. And I would never have set out to do that.”
Presenter Fiona Bruce interjected to ask: “Is that why you left?”
Neil then answered: “I'll let you draw your own conclusions as to why I'm here tonight and not with GB News on that.”
GB News has been hit with multiple issues since launch including technical mishaps and at times zero viewers.
The channel hosts the likes of former Ukip leader Nigel Farage and Scottish historian Neil Oliver.
Neil quit just weeks into the channel’s launch, taking an extended break, before quitting just days ago.
Taking aim at the journalist, Abbey pointed to the picture Neil and said: “GB News was set up, as it says over here in black and white and a channel that was intended to not be 'woke', that it was going to be a channel that was going to fight the ‘culture wars’.
“I posit to you, Andrew, that you actually knew exactly what you guys were setting up. But you were setting when you use the term like woke as a pejorative. I put it to you that you knew exactly who that dog was. So you exactly knew the dog. You blew the whistle.”
Neil responded to Abbey saying if he was happy with the direction of GB News, why was he on Question Time and not on the fledgling news channel.
The veteran journalist told Abbey: “You don’t know me and you are assuming things of which you have no knowledge.”
Abbey went on to deliver a scathing review of GB News.
He said: “I think GB news, when it launched, was actually a very, very shoddy platform. When it came out it was embarrassing to watch.
“It's not Fox News by any means. Fox News actually has very, very decent production value and very well thought through programming.
“GB news is by no means whatsoever Fox News, it is actually a very inferior product to almost anything on the market.
“But what we actually had, what GB News did represent is the exact same thing that Fox News represented, which was for the purpose of re-mainstreaming and maintaining an almost cocktail of bigotries within our nation, under the term ‘woke’.”
Abbey said he was glad Neil left the channel but it was “sad” to see him devote his time and effort to it.
READ MORE: Stewart Bremner makes merch out of Andrew Neil's attacks on Greens in Daily Mail
He continued: “It really breaks my heart who is one of our most prominent and popular and powerful journalists in this society, really broken down and traduced by his own means.
“Andrew you're not who you were about 24 months ago.”
Neil labelled the criticism “abuse” adding: “For someone who has never met me you seem to know a hell of a lot about me.”
Neil said: “And when you do your homework, maybe you come back and apologise and we can have a sensible conversation.”
GB News responded to the remarks made on Question Time, not naming any specific claims.
The GB News Twitter account wrote: "During last night’s BBC Question Time, a number of demonstrably untrue remarks were made about GB News.
"We stand for fair debate, tolerance, free speech and factual journalism. There are always more than two sides to any story and we believe in listening to all of them.
"We look forward to welcoming Andrew Neil back on GB News on Monday for his regular appearance."
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