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		</div><p>A father who confronted Boris Johnson to complain about the state of the NHS has defended the BBC’s political editor after she faced criticism for pointing out he is a Labour activist.</p>
<p>Omar Salem said Laura Kuenssberg was doing her job “without fear or favour”, after a Twitter storm in which she was condemned for potentially opening him up to abuse online over the incident.</p>
<p>After Mr Salem took the Prime Minister to task during a visit to a children’s ward at Whipps Cross University Hospital, where his seven-day-old daughter is being treated, Kuenssberg told her followers he was a Labour activist, before linking to one of his posts about the incident.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another very, very awkward encounter for PM &#8211; taken to task by a parent on a children’s ward in London where he says repeatedly the ‘NHS has been destroyed’ &#8211; Johnson like rabbit in headlights <a href="https://t.co/byRiXlD0ig">pic.twitter.com/byRiXlD0ig</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) <a href="https://twitter.com/bbclaurak/status/1174286478190534658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>It prompted fury from many social media users, with some suggesting it could “direct harassment” at Mr Salem, and causing #SackLauraKuenssberg to begin trending online.</p>
<p>On Thursday Mr Salem tweeted: <em>“@bbclaurak is doing her job without fear or favour, which is a vital part of democracy. I don’t think ‘Labour activist cares about NHS’ is a huge scoop though…”</em></p>
<p>The BBC had earlier said any suggestion Kuenssberg had maliciously shared Mr Salem’s tweet was “absurd”.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/bbclaurak?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bbclaurak</a> is doing her job without fear or favour, which is a vital part of democracy. </p>
<p>I don’t think “Labour activist cares about NHS” is a huge scoop though&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/GiSeSmzZ7m">https://t.co/GiSeSmzZ7m</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Omar Salem (@OmarSalem) <a href="https://twitter.com/OmarSalem/status/1174589870267912194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>In a statement the BBC said: <em>“Laura is a journalist who uses social media as part of her job.</em></p>
<p><em>“Like many others, Laura quote-tweeted a thread by Omar Salem, who had written himself about his encounter with the PM on social media and describes himself as a Labour activist.</em></p>
<p><em>“Any suggestions there was malicious intent behind her tweets are absurd.”</em></p>
<p>The tweet of Mr Salem’s which Kuenssberg shared read: <em>“Boris Johnson dropped into @WhippsCrossHosp for a press opportunity – so I gave him a piece of my mind about how he is running the NHS based on the experience with my 7 day old daughter, who was neglected for hours last night.”</em></p>
<p>During the visit, Mr Salem told Mr Johnson: <em>“There are not enough people on this ward, there are not enough doctors, there’s not enough nurses, it’s not well organised enough.</em></p>
<p><em>“The NHS has been destroyed… and now you come here for a press opportunity.”</em></p>
<p>Mr Johnson replied: <em>“There’s no press here,”</em> but Mr Salem gestured to cameras filming the confrontation, and said: <em>“What do you mean there’s no press here, who are these people?”</em></p>
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