Back to the Beeb, which continues to get better at being the focus of news headlines rather than, er, producing them. Now a freelance weekend newsreader is on the warpath, with the ex-BBC presenter claiming he was let go from the public service broadcaster after it emerged he made an anti-Keir Starmer charity Christmas single. Good heavens…
Chris Middleton worked at BBC Radio Newcastle for six years before producing the ‘Freezing This Christmas’ hit. The tongue-in-cheek tune intended to make a serious point about the winter fuel payment cuts introduced by Starmer’s army, with the rather creative lyrics including:
And she told me that she doesn’t get out of bed till midday,
Because she didn’t want to turn the heating on.
Each time I remember, I’ve paid taxes all my life,
I cry as I wonder: Will I make it? Will my wife?
I just break down as I look around
And the only things I see are foreign wars and open doors
And a freezing OAP.
The parody of Mud’s 1974 Christmas hit then launches back into its chorus: ‘It’ll be freezing this Christmas / Without fuel at home / It’ll be freezing this Christmas / While Keir Starmer’s warm.’ It won’t win a Grammy anytime soon Mr S supposes Middleton’s, um, creativity is to be admired.
Not that the presenter thought the BBC were much impressed by his extra-curricular activities. The newsreader claims that the corporation – whose impartiality guidelines expressly forbid staff working in current affairs and news from voicing political views – cancelled his shifts after he admitted he was behind the song. Speaking to GB News, Middleton insisted:
I was told because it was a conflict of interest, it would be against the BBC’s impartiality rules to allow me to continue my job as a newsreader while also putting out a song – which of course was political – but with the main goal of raising money and awareness for pensioners.
Middleton may be out of a job at the Beeb but with the rate at which the Labour lot’s popularity is plummeting, his penchant for anti-Starmer songs may come in handy in future…
