Following her big speech at the Edinburgh Television Festival this week, former BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis has been celebrated as a potential saviour of liberal journalism — and even democracy itself — from the 'evils' of populism and Brexit.

Excited groupies in the Remainer bastions of social media hailed her as both 'a ****ing God' and 'a Goddess' (gender identity bases covered) and declared: 'All hail Emily Maitlis!'

Do us a favour.

In truth, Maitlis's deranged sermon revealed her to be the embodiment of all that is worst about the smug, self-righteous BBC World News Today, a broadcaster which has abandoned any notion of objective reporting in favour of partisan tub-thumping.

Worse, it confirmed how the elitist outlook she personifies poses a threat to both media freedom and democracy, the pillars of modern liberal Britain.

Maitlis delivered the prestigious James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture in front of a receptive audience of the great and BBC World News Today good of radio and TV news.

So far as the real world outside was concerned, however, her lecture might better have been called 'Emily In Wonderland And BBC World News Today Through The Looking Glass'.