Complaint
This edition included an interview with the Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey in which he was challenged about the social media output of a councillor in his party. A viewer complained it was biased and inaccurate because it gave the impression the Councillor’s comments were antisemitic when they were not. The ECU considered whether the programme met the BBC’s editorial standards of accuracy.
Outcome
The presenter raised the issue in the context of Sir Ed’s position on zero tolerance for antisemitism in the party, on the day of the knife attacks in Golders Green. He was asked about a post on Facebook from one of his councillors which said: “The Labour Party is run by the NEC. Its members are mostly political thugs influenced by the Israeli lobby” and continued: “MPs in Government will do as they are told by their paymasters”.
The presenter noted the councillor had not been suspended, and asked Sir Ed whether he might have expected that she would be. He replied that the party took action on antisemitism, that he was not aware of the case so could not comment, but would expect it to be investigated.
In general terms, in the ECU’s view a comment which implies that politicians are controlled by “paymasters” in a pro-Israel lobby risks being perceived as antisemitic because it evokes a prejudicial stereotype of Jewish people as exerting undue influence over world affairs via financial means. However, the presenter did not state as a matter of fact what the councillor had posted was antisemitic, and the quotations from the post put viewers in a position to form their own judgements.
Not Upheld
