Question Time audience member challenges The Sun’s ‘disrespect’ over Jeremy Corbyn front page

Managing Editor questioned over decision to put model in underwear on Remembrance Day front page

An audience member challenged Abell

An audience member on the BBC Question Time show accused The Sun of hypocrisy in its Remembrance Day coverage by highlighting the “scantily dressed women” it also included on its front page.

The Sun’s managing editor Stig Abell defended the newspaper’s highly critical coverage of Jeremy Corbyn at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day.

The newspaper claimed Mr Corbyn had “refused” to bow and in doing so disrespected Britain’s war dead.

Stig Abell

But one woman questioned the paper’s own sense of respect in light of the fact that the picture of Mr Corbyn was next to an image of the model Abbey Clancey, who was wearing just underwear and a pair of boots.

She said: “I’d like to put it to Stig who works for The Sun: How respectful are you to people in general? For instance, that photograph of him at the Cenotaph, bowing his head, right next to it is a picture of scantily dressed woman. How respectful is that?” Her answer drew a round of applause from the audience.

Abell denied the cover was an example of bullying and claimed it was sparked by concerns from Labour MPs about whether Mr Corbyn would show "sufficient respect".

“You say the criticism came from The Sun [but] it came from his own party and it came from people watching the television. We reported on what people said.

“On Wednesday we had David Cameron mocked up as a jelly on the front page because one of the things The Sun does is tries to capture where the debate is.”