The host of BBC Breakfast clashed with Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick during a live interview on Tuesday (July 28).
Clash over doctored clip
Sally Nugent questioned Jenrick about a social media post that has sparked backlash. The Reform MP has faced calls to apologise after being accused of sharing a doctored quote from Labour's new migration minister Jo White.
Nugent pressed: "Last week, you were accused of sharing misleading content online, taken from a speech made by Labour's Jo White. A speech that had been edited and was then posted. Have you apologised for what you did?"
Jenrick said he had received an audio clip from a member of the public and later decided to take the post down, giving White the "benefit of the doubt" as he felt he was a "fair-minded" person. He maintained that White had published a version of the clip different to the one he received.
Nugent interjected: "It wasn't right. It was false, wasn't it? And you know that's not what she said, so would you apologise?"
Jenrick responded: "I don't know that actually." Nugent fired back: "We do because we have the full transcript. We have the full audio that people can hear."
MP refuses to apologise
The MP insisted there were two audio recordings of the meeting, with Nugent pointing out that one was "clearly edited". Jenrick continued: "The other is not clearly edited actually." Nugent said: "I'll give you one more opportunity to apologise for what you did in posting that clip that had been edited to make it sound like she said something that she didn't say."
"It wasn't a doctored clip. Honestly, deal with the issues that really matter to people," the exasperated MP said, before turning to Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Nugent noted: "So, you won't apologise?" Jenrick replied: "I'm focusing on the things that actually matter. I'm not going to get into a debate about a social media post where there's two different recordings of what somebody's said. I mean, grow up. Let's talk about the things that really matter to the public."
Jo White's response
Reform UK had published a clip of Jo White that seemed to indicate she told constituents last year: "I don't care if we stop the boats." White subsequently released a longer version of the clip in which she said: "I don't care who will stop the boats... my number one priority is to stop those boats."
She later wrote: "Robert Jenrick is spreading a false account of what I said at a meeting with my constituents last year... Reform have deliberately twisted my words to mislead the public. They should withdraw their false claim and immediately apologise."
