Rory Stewart draws social media attention for Newsnight moment

Former Conservative MP and podcaster Rory Stewart has drawn significant social media attention following a peculiar moment on the BBC programme Newsnight. During a panel discussion regarding the global race for artificial intelligence development, Mr Stewart abruptly spun in his chair to stare at fellow panelist and New Statesman political editor Ailbhe Rea.

The incident occurred after Mr Stewart expressed concerns about the United Kingdom becoming overly dependent on American and Chinese AI software for critical infrastructure, such as hospitals and military systems. Following his comments, host Matt Chorley directed a question to Ms Rea, at which point Mr Stewart performed the sudden swivel and held his gaze for several seconds before returning to his seat.

Social media users have widely shared the clip, with many mocking the interaction as “magnificently strange” or “performative.” Other panelists, including former Labour leader Neil Kinnock, did not react to the maneuver during the broadcast.