Shami Chakrabarti calls for Today programme apology over Gove joke
2 min read
Shami Chakrabarti has called for the Today programme to apologise after Michael Gove made a joke on the programme about disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.
The Environment Secretary likened being interviewed on Radio 4 to suffering a sexual assault in the bedroom of the big-time movie producer.
He said on the Today programme yesterday: “Sometimes I think that coming into the studio with you John [Humphrys] is a bit like going into Harvey Weinstein's bedroom…
"You just pray that you emerge with your dignity intact... but the broader point is that yes you can make a fool of yourself.”
The film tycoon has faced a raft of sexual assault and rape allegations in the past weeks - all of which he denies.
After Mr Gove made the joke, his fellow guest Lord Kinnock chimed in: "John goes way past groping. way past groping.”
Mr Gove has since apologised, claiming the comment was a “clumsy attempt at humour”.
He wrote in a tweet: “It wasn’t appropriate. I’m sorry and I apologise unreservedly.”
The Shadow Attorney General today called for the radio programme to apologise for the incident.
“My first thought was why did the Today programme choose to celebrate its 60th anniversary by having three white men in the 8.10 slot,” she told Peston on Sunday.
She stopped short of calling for her fellow Labour peer Lord Kinnock to apologise but pointed to the fact that he laughed at the joke.
“My second thought was, Michael Gove has apologised but there were two other men in that conversation...and they were laughing along. But Michael Gove has apologised, perhaps the Today programme would like to apologise and would like the put some women in those conversations in the future.”
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
