THE BBC’s political editor has said the “unpleasant” public threats she has received are trying to “silence” her, it has been revealed.
Laura Kuenssberg was speaking for the first time since she was given a bodyguard to ensure her safety in public.
She said: "I didn't aspire to have the finger pointed at me.
“What they are trying to do is silence me.”During an interview with the BBC she added: “No matter how unpleasant and personal it might be, it is not as bad as what other journalists face around the world in much more difficult circumstances.”
Mrs Kuenssberg was accompanied by a bodyguard in September when she covered the Labour Party conference in Brighton - the same was true while covering the Tory conference in Manchester the following month.
The Daily Mail has claimed that the BBC provided Mrs Kuenssberg with protection at the Conservative Party conference to maintain a political balance.
The BBC’s decision to provide the journalist with protection came after a series of threats were made against her.
Mrs Kuenssberg was accused of alleged bias regarding her reporting of Jeremy Corbyn - during her coverage of Labour’s leadership election a petition was created calling for her dismissal that garnered 35,000 signatures.
Following the assignment of a body guard, the BBC commented on the decision.
It told The Sun: “We take the safety of our staff extremely seriously.
“Laura is a well-known public figure. She and her team will be covering events with big crowds where there can be hostility, so we want to ensure adequate precautions are taken.”
During the interview Mrs Kuenssberg was also asked about the current position of Theresa May, the journalist revealed she expects her to last until 2019 but admitted that “in another time she’d have been gone on June 9”.
The political editor was then questioned on what Mrs May and Jeremy Corbyn are like off-camera.
She added: "The camera is not always fair. Corbyn says what he thinks much of the time and is always one step away from tying what he is saying into his world view.
“May is much warmer in private and relaxed” although only a little bit more relaxed.”
Mrs Kuenssberg concluded by persuading those involved in the unfolding MP sex scandal to come forward after revealing that she convinced Bex Bailey, a Labour activist, to express her alleged rape claims.
She declared: "It is important for people to get a handle on the seriousness of what is happening. We need people to feel they can come forward."