'Newsnight made by idealistic 13-year-olds' blasts Jeremy Paxman #TheElitePartyInJuly #Entertain9jar via @myentertain9jar

FORMER Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman has said the flagship BBC politics programme is made by idealistic "13-year-olds", according to reports.

 

Jeremy Paxman worked on Newsnight fotr 25 years before standing down this month[PA]

Paxman, who made his final appearance on the show earlier this month after 25 years, said his Conservative leanings left him a lone voice among young producers hoping to "change the world".
The veteran broadcaster, famed for his uncompromising interviewing style, said his political experience led to him becoming a "one-nation Tory" who believes idealism is a "fool's errand".
Paxman, 64, made the rant while answering questions from an audience at the Chalke Valley History Festival yesterday, as he promoted his new book about the First World War.
He was quizzed about his tandem bike ride through the streets of London with Boris Johnson, which featured in his final episode of Newsnight.
During the show, the Mayor of London described Paxman - who has had to remain politically neutral during his journalism career - as the "last" one-nation Tory working at the BBC.

 

"I have to be frank, I suppose I am a one-nation Tory, yes," Paxman reportedly said. 

"Look, Newsnight is made by 13-year-olds. It's perfectly normal when you're young that you want to change the world.

 

"The older you get, the more you realise what a fool's errand much of that is and that the thing to do is to manage the best you can to the advantage of as many people as possible."

Paxman, who still presents University Challenge, refused to be drawn on whether he was indeed the last Conservative at the BBC, saying: "I think I'll plead the fifth on that one."

His comments come after a disastrous period for Newsnight in recent years, including, most notably, high-profile and damaging errors linked to the the Jimmy Savile scandal. 

But Paxman became well-known for his grilling of guests during a quarter of a century spell as host. 

Jeremy Paxman will still present University Challenge after leaving Newsnight [GETTY]

I have to be frank, I suppose I am a one-nation Tory, yes.

Jeremy Paxman

During one notorious interview in 1997 he asked Tory ex-Home Secretary Michael Howard the same question 12 times when the MP failed to give direct answers about alleged gaffes within the prison service. 

His famed grumpy demeanour was also on show in 2005 when Newsnight's editor decided to broadcast brief weather forecasts instead of financial reports. 

Paxman openly ridiculed the decision on air, saying: "And for tonight's weather – it's April, what do you expect?"

More recently he clashed with comedian Russell Brand during a tough exchange on the programme. 

Paxman says Newsnight producers are idealistic '13-year-olds' [GETTY]

Speaking at yesterday's public event, he said on the topic of modern politics: "I am in favour of governments getting out of people's lives. Particularly foreign government.

"The closer you can take decision-making to the people affected by those decisions, the better."

Europe had been the source of "nothing but trouble for us", Paxman said, joking that Belgium was a "pointless little country".

Alongside his TV commitments, Paxman is due to appear in a one-man show at the Edinburgh Festival this summer and his new book, Britain's Great War, is out now