The row over BBC bias deepened tonight after two of its leading presenters claimed that airing concerns about its coverage was part of a political campaign to ‘destroy’ the Corporation.
Nick Robinson’s remarks – later endorsed as ‘exactly right’ by veteran reporter John Simpson – were swiftly condemned as ‘ridiculous’ and ‘arrogant’ by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose vow to withhold his licence fee over the impartiality issue sparked yesterday’s outburst.
Writing in his weekly Daily Mail column, Mr Johnson had said he would stop paying the levy until the BBC’s under-fire director-general, Tim Davie, ‘came clean’ over why Panorama ‘completely misled’ viewers by doctoring a Donald Trump speech.
On Radio 4’s flagship Today programme, Mr Robinson acknowledged that there was ‘a genuine concern about editorial standards and mistakes’ at the national broadcaster, but went on to say: ‘There is also a political campaign by people who want to destroy the organisation that you are currently listening to. Both things are happening at the same time.’
Mr Johnson hit back, telling The Mail on Sunday: ‘There is a difference between trying to destroy the BBC and trying to hold it to account.
‘This is just a diversionary tactic from an organisation that is too arrogant to think it might be at fault.’
Mr Robinson, the corporation’s fourth-best-paid presenter on £410,000 a year, returned to the subject later in the programme. Speaking to political commentator Tim Montgomerie, he raised the prospect that Right-wing politicians could ‘actually bring this organisation down’.
The row comes as Mr Davie faces increasing pressure to respond to a wide-ranging dossier outlining several instances of BBC bias on topics including transgender issues and the war in Gaza. The report by Michael Prescott – a former adviser to the Corporation’s editorial watchdog – accuses the director-general of ‘inaction’ over the Trump case. Critics say Mr Davie has gone ‘into hiding’ over the issue.
On Today Nick Robinson acknowledged that there was ‘a genuine concern about editorial standards and mistakes’ at the national broadcaster, but went on to say: ‘There is also a political campaign by people who want to destroy the organisation’
Boris Johnson hit back at Robinson’s comments, telling The Mail on Sunday: ‘There is a difference between trying to destroy the BBC and trying to hold it to account. This is just a diversionary tactic from an organisation that is too arrogant to think it might be at fault’
Tonight, the BBC said its chairman Samir Shah will provide a full response to the dossier to Parliament’s culture, media and sport committee tomorrow, as its members had demanded.
However, it was reported tonight that his response will include an apology for the misleading editing of the Trump speech.
Mr Prescott will give evidence to the committee later this week.
The contentious Panorama segment was edited to show Mr Trump apparently riling up crowds ahead of the riots in Washington on January 6, 2021, as Congress was formalising Joe Biden’s election victory.
Mr Trump was shown saying that he would walk with his supporters to the Capitol and urging them to ‘fight like hell’. However, the report omitted a section of the speech where Mr Trump urged the crowd ‘to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard’.
A source said tonight: ‘There are now serious fears within the BBC that this could get them banned from the White House. And that Trump might launch a major lawsuit which would be very costly and hard to defend.’
Mr Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the BBC as ‘100 per cent fake news’ and a ‘propaganda machine’ in the wake of the revelations.
She said: ‘This purposefully dishonest, selectively edited clip by the BBC is further evidence that they are total, 100 per cent fake news that should no longer be worth the time on the television screens of the great people of the United Kingdom.’
Mr Prescott’s report comes as BBC staff are in revolt after the Corporation’s internal watchdogs censured newsreader Martine Croxall after she corrected the phrase ‘pregnant people’ to ‘women’ live on air
Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt (pictured) has also waded into the controversy describing the BBC as ‘100 per cent fake news’ and a ‘propaganda machine’
Mr Prescott’s report comes as BBC staff are in revolt after the Corporation’s internal watchdogs censured newsreader Martine Croxall after she corrected the phrase “pregnant people” to “women” live on air. The Executive Complaints Unit ruled on Thursday that she breached impartiality rules by raising her eyebrow when she changed the wording of the autocue.
Sources say that concerns about the Trump report, which were first raised internally at the BBC in May, were discussed at a board meeting ten days before it was first reported last week.
A source told this newspaper: ‘This shows that inside the BBC there was clear knowledge at the highest level of what a serious issue this was. It wasn’t just left to individual programme managers, it was discussed in detail by the board. But they chose to sit on it, and turn a deaf ear to the whole thing. It was basically a cover-up.
‘There are some people within the Corporation who fear this could mark the end for the BBC.
They have been caught blatantly distorting the truth over an issue of huge international importance.
‘This crisis is having major diplomatic ramifications. It’s impossible to overstate how damaging this is.’
Lord Grade, chairman of the broadcasting regulator Ofcom, has written to BBC chairman Samir Shah urging him to take Mr Prescott’s concerns seriously,
Addressing Mr Robinson’s remarks, the BBC’s former director of television, Danny Cohen, said: ‘There is no political campaign to destroy the BBC. This is a conspiracy theory being briefed by the BBC to divert attention from the serious journalistic failings that Michael Prescott’s whistleblower report has revealed.
‘This should be a moment when BBC journalists look inwards and do some serious soul-searching about the fall in editorial standards that the BBC is experiencing.
‘Instead they are focused on attacking those who wish to hold the BBC to account.
‘Tim Davie and Samir Shah have known for at least six months that Panorama faked a Trump speech but they remained silent and did nothing about it.
‘This smacks of a shocking cover-up and I do believe their positions are now untenable.’
Tory chairman Nigel Huddleston said: ‘The tsunami of allegations about BBC bias on multiple fronts shows that this is not just the traditional political disagreement. It’s not about Left versus Right but much wider.
‘The BBC is showing itself to be out of touch with the moderate views of the majority of licence payers – a much broader spectrum.
‘I would warn the BBC not to pick a fight with its licence payers. You don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
‘If the BBC can’t restore trust and abide by its own rules and editorial guidelines then the whole justification for its charter and the licence fee disappears. The BBC has to be impartial.’
Tory chairman Nigel Huddleston (pictured) said: ‘The tsunami of allegations about BBC bias on multiple fronts shows that this is not just the traditional political disagreement. It’s not about Left versus Right but much wider’
Independent peer Lord Austin said: ‘It does not matter whether you support President Trump or not, this is a huge scandal because it shows BBC bosses cannot be trusted to uphold the values of impartiality and honesty which is why it is funded by the public.
‘Tim Davie knew at least six months ago that Panorama had faked what Trump had said. This was a shocking failure of the most basic standards of journalistic integrity yet BBC bosses decided not to act on it.’
Boris Johnson added: ‘I love the BBC. I just think they were trying to get away without trying to explain or justify their patent Left-wing bias.
‘We need to hear from the director-general – and pronto.’
Mr Robinson declined to comment tonight.
