Laura Kuenssberg has a date for your diary. So, make sure you have something else to do.

As the Conservative’s barrel-scraping leadership rigamarole enters its final stretch, the one thing that no-one is thinking is “if only Boris Johnson were back”. Unless, you’re the lying charlatan’s nauseatingly fawning lickspittle Laura Kuenssberg that is. If you don’t currently have plans for Thursday 3 October at 7.30pm, now you do. And it’s to be anywhere, doing literally anything other than turning on the TV to BBC One:

One for the diary…. 👇 pic.twitter.com/jFEBU7zT3J

— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) September 18, 2024

The Kuenssberg Interview with… Boris Johnson

Of course, it’s the type of ingratiating drivel we’ve all become used to from the shameless Tory mouthpiece. Nonetheless, the focus of this particular programme understandably had many rolling their eyes in utter incredulity. For one, Kuenssberg and the BBC has given over a whole slot to the former sleazebag prime minister. This being the disgraced PM even the Tories booted out after one too many scandals:

Continuing to promote this rancid charlatan after everything he did runs contrary to the unwritten rules of basic human decency. I don’t want to see this bloated, bloviating bin bag on my screen ever again. I want him to fade into memory like smallpox or the Tweenies. https://t.co/uh002PcmZ0

— Dyl (@dylanhjm) September 18, 2024

I’m sick to death of people who’ve done immeasurable damage to this country, being offered a free pass on their past behaviour, and a cheap opportunity to repair their toxic reputations.

Do we believe Laura Kuenssberg is going to hold lying Boris Johnson to account?

Do we f…. https://t.co/c4opdunXo4

— Paul Ilett (@Paul_Ilett) September 18, 2024

Then, there’s the uncanny timing. Specifically, that it airs one week before Johnson’s memoir Unleashed hits the shelves. So, Kuenssberg’s interview is practically a promotional ad for his little self-aggrandising work of fiction (because from the serially lying Johnson, it can hardly count as non-fiction):

Good to see the state broadcaster finding time to help a failed politician promote his new book.

One last favour from his client journalist? https://t.co/vHzMAdGHpQ

— Ben Ralph (@RaggyRalph) September 18, 2024

One of the BBC’s most senior political journalists: Laura Kuenssberg seemingly happy to engage in profiling former UK PM Boris Johnson with the sole aim of helping him flog more copies of his book. Questionable political judgement by the BBC again. https://t.co/V7PlR6SGpU

— Gerry Hassan 🇺🇦 (@GerryHassan) September 18, 2024

Hey BBC just a coincidence that Laura Kuenssberg is doing the interview with Boris Johnson at same time book is coming out, not free publicity? And are you paying him, if so use your own money not licence fee payers https://t.co/Xw9poqAfqZ

— Poptunes (@Catofbengals) September 18, 2024

One person on X highlighted that Johnson wasn’t too interested in giving an interview with an election impending:

I’ll never forget that Johnson refused to do an interview with Andrew Neil before the 2019 general election. Yet here he is being given a chance to plug his new book with his chum Laura. There’s no good reason to talk to him at this stage – but that doesn’t stop them! https://t.co/RuDsB1wxYp

— Neil Drysdale (@NeilDrysdale) September 18, 2024

Evidently however, Kuenssberg is pretty pleased with herself for bagging herself a Boris Johnson one-on-one. Graciously, the good people of X well and truly ratioed her for this:

Thanks Laura https://t.co/y272lBR4Rx pic.twitter.com/VFrRm4WA1w

— Chris (@chrisasstrophe) September 18, 2024

Sorry but I’d rather stick needles in my eyes than watch that charlatan spout nonsense to a sycophant #borisjohnson #Kuenssberg https://t.co/2OpG3GHS2v

— Jacqui Hames (@jacquihames) September 18, 2024

Expect nauseating sycophancy and simpering admiration https://t.co/xG416TJniy

— Simon Gosden. Esq. #fbpe 3.5% 🇪🇺🐟🇬🇧🏴‍☠️🦠💙 (@g_gosden) September 18, 2024

Tight with the Tories all round

Currently, details on what the programme will contain are sparse. The BBC’s website says only: “Laura Kuenssberg talks to Boris Johnson.” All it really tells us is that Johnson probably didn’t hide in a fridge for this interview.

So, will Kuenssberg take Johnson to task over any number of his multifarious misdemeanours?

Fat chance from the BBC’s sycophantic Tory stooge.

Far from incisive, interrogative journalism, it’ll be a sickening slideshow of simpering stenography from its highfalutin hack. No-one asked for an hour (or however insufferably long this programme will be) of the sack of steaming shit talking his way out of his culpability for the deadly toll of the pandemic, Brexit, and countless other callous policies under his prime ministerial-ship. Invariably however, that’s what this will be. After all, Kuenssberg’s Johnson suck-up record speaks for itself.

Almost literally anyone would do a better job as a journalist grilling the overinflated Bullingdon Club establishment grifter:

They could have got someone at the BBC who’d go in harder like, say, Mr. Tumble https://t.co/olQFX10A1J

— Jeremy Allen (@jeres) September 18, 2024

Of course, Kuenssberg is just the tip of the iceberg of the BBC’s tight relationship with the Tories:

Kuenssberg always seems unhealthily close to Boris Johnson.

Given also Robbie Gibb’s continued role at the BBC – this interview smells of chums of Boris Johnson using our licence payer money to promote the man as his new book is coming out. https://t.co/M1sfjYk6M1

— Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy) September 18, 2024

If you had any lasting doubt that the BBC is a far-right Tory public relations outfit, then this should set that to rest. Putting out a puff piece for a disgraced former PM should be beyond embarrassing for any journalist. But playing her part in the Boris Johnson rehabilitation parade suits his probable next communications director down to ground.

However, there was one other useful reminder from this. This date for the diary too: Thursday 10 October – watch Boris Johnson’s memoir stay stuck-fast to the shelves of your local bookshop. It’d be a damn sight better viewing than whatever paint-dryingly dull Johnson reputation-massaging ego-waffle Kuenssberg will be putting out the week before, that’s for sure.

Feature image via Youtube – BBC News