Mea culpa from the Newsnight editor in an email to Labour spinner Bob Roberts:

Dear Bob,

I am only too happy to reiterate the apology I have already made to Rachel by text and on Twitter: I apologise unreservedly for my ill-judged remark about her appearance on Newsnight last night. As you know it was intended as a private message but as you rightly say that is no excuse.

I don’t accept your implication that my tweet reflects in any way on the impartiality of Newsnight, except to the extent that it reflects a determination to make Newsnight as interesting as I can. I am acutely aware, however, that we ask quite a lot of guests when we invite them into the studio to do late night interviews and my tweet hardly conveyed the appreciation we owe them for making the trip. 

I particularly regret any personal offence or upset I have caused Rachel and hope she will come on Newsnight again soon.

Best

Ian

Don’t count on it…