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PUBLISHED: 11:47 09 April 2020 | UPDATED: 11:56 09 April 2020
Andrew Neil challenges Boris Johnson. Photograph: BBC.
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Almost four years after its creation The New European goes from strength to strength across print and online, offering a pro-European perspective on Brexit and reporting on the political response to the coronavirus outbreak, climate change and international politics. But we can only continue to grow with your support.
The Andrew Neil Show and Politics Live presenter has been accused of blocking and muting users that do not agree with him after openly admitting blocking #FBPE accounts.
The hashtag has been used by pro-Europeans and Remainers on Twitter, and stands for Follow Back, Pro European, but has been hijacked by pro-Brexit users too.
Neil has previously called users that reference the hashtag followers of a numpty cult - calling those referencing the letters in their Twitter name trolls.
The broadcaster was particularly angered by the responses to some of his tweets about the governments handling of coronavirus, claiming that their responses were drivel.
He tweeted: With time on my hands Im blocking or muting all #FBPE I come across. Theyve gone from drivel about their original obsession to even worse drivel about coronavirus. Life too short to waste time on their meanderings.
But his announcement was met with criticism from those that believed it was wrong for a BBC political journalist to admit it when he should be showing impartiality.
In a time of national crisis, a journalist with time on his hands is no longer a journalist, said one.
A real journalist doesnt mute one side of the argument just because he disagrees with it. Becoming an embarrassment to the BBC, wrote @SW1_Confused.
To me the #FBPE are the only people holding the government to account, said Baz Smith. Many of our number are scientists and academics so know what they are talking about. We are also a international network which is what is sorely needed at the moment.
Perhaps you should be doing your job and holding the government to account? asked one.
Andrew Neil is a snowflake. He can dish it out but cant take it. And now revealed as Brexiteer, wrote another.
Hope you do the same to the die hard Brexit lot blaming EU for PMs coronavirus, tweeted Jane Gilbert.
Tempting policy... might adopt it and extend to anyone with a flag of any kind, replied Daran Hill.
He has no other answer when hes brought under scrutiny himself, complained another.
Almost four years after its creation The New European goes from strength to strength across print and online, offering a pro-European perspective on Brexit and reporting on the political response to the coronavirus outbreak, climate change and international politics. But we can only rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press with your support. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.
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