The BBC Breakfast presenters noticed a glaring error in their own graphics while live on air this morning (Tuesday, July 9). Jim McMahon, MP for Oldham West and Royton, appeared at around 7.30am for a grilling from the BBC’s Jon Kay.
Mr McMahon has been appointed as one of the new ministers making up the new government following Labour’s win at the polls on Thursday. He was introduced onto the BBC programme this morning with a banner which stated his name and his role: ‘Levelling Up minister’.
The presenters also introduced him as “Minister for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities”. However, during the conversation, live on air, Jon questioned the government’s continued use of the term ‘levelling up’.
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He asked: “There was some talk before the election that Labour might get rid of that phrase, but it’s staying, is it?” Mr McMahon immediately refuted this, saying that the phrase has been removed completely.
He said: “It was firmly TippExed out of the department yesterday, so we’re now the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.” Mr McMahon explained that this is important to the new government as they claim “levelling up” was only ever a slogan, and wasn’t something people felt in their communities.
However, the government is keen to include more focus on local government, which they believe is felt more acutely by communities. But all of this was said by Mr McMahon while the BBC banner underneath him stated he was ‘Levelling Up Minister’.
Once the interview had concluded, the camera panned back out to the two presenters. Sarah Campbell immediately said: “Definitely not levelling up”, and Jon Kay said: “Our graphic said levelling up minister”.
But Ms Campbell, echoing Mr McMahon earlier, said: “But it’s been blotted out, it’s been tip-exed out.” Then she immediately attempts to move the discussion on, changing the subject suddenly to the Euros.
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