Sky presenter accused of '˜sexist' questioning

Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry appears on Murnaghan with Dermot Murnaghan on Sky News and accuses the presenter of sexism after being asked the name of the French foreign minister. Picture: Sky News/PA

The shadow foreign secretary clashed with Mr Murnaghan as she criticised him for “pub quizzing” her.

Ms Thornberry was asked if she had taken part in any Brexit talks with her would-be counterparts in Germany and France, and if she knew the name of the French foreign minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault. “Don’t start pub quizzing me, Dermot,” she said.

She continued: “Do you know what, what really upsets me about your attitude to me is that you do this with me. I don’t remember you doing it with anybody else, you know.”

She was later asked if she knew who the South Korean president is. An increasingly frustrated Ms Thornberry said: “If you want me to go with you to a pub tonight and we can do a pub quiz tonight, let’s do it.”

Mr Murnaghan went on to ask Ms Thornberry about anti-Semitism within the Labour Party. She said Labour is committed to tackling the issue, as well as racism and sexism. She continued: “There is certainly a lot more to be done by the Tories and I certainly think sometimes when it comes to sexism, some Sky presenters need to look at themselves too.”

Mr Murnaghan replied: “It’s not, because you are the shadow foreign secretary and this was about the French foreign minister.”

Ms Thornberry said she wanted to “take this offline because I have got a lot to say to you and I don’t think a lot of it ought to be broadcast”.