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Saturday 3 November 2018

Arron Banks - Marr Show In Trouble

Hardly had news emerged that Arron Banks, the alleged “man who bankrolled Brexit”, had been, along with his pals, referred to the National Crime Agency over the source of all those loans and donations made to the Leave EU campaign, than the scramble was on to give him a platform on which to broadcast his views to the nation.
And it was disappointing, though not surprising, that the platform is to be provided by the BBC, in the shape of The Andy Marr Show™ this weekend. This has prompted a deluge of severely adverse comment, and so the Beeb has put out a statement explaining itself. The problem is that the statement exposes that same old mindset.
But will Banksy get the caning he deserves?

Here is that statement, as posted by Rob Burley, editor of BBC Live Political Programmes: “There is strong public interest in an interview with Arron Banks about allegations of funding irregularities in relation to Leave EU, and the 2016 EU referendum. The Electoral Commission has laid out concerns about this in public and it is legitimate and editorially justified for Andrew Marr to question Mr Banks robustly about them, which he will do on Sunday morning”. Anyone spot the repeated false equivalence?
It’s right here: “The Electoral Commission ha laid out concerns about this”. Or as Mrs T might have put it, No, No, No, No, No, No. The EC has not merely “laid out concerns”. It has made findings of fact and fined Leave EU for breaking the law. That’s breaking the law, BBC people - I point that out because the mistake shows every sign of repeating the “Vote Leave broke the rules” claim, when Vote Leave had, you guessed it, broken the law.
Twice organisations involved in the Leave campaign are found to have broken the law, and twice the Beeb drives the issue round the houses rather than saying so directly. Small wonder that so many have expressed concern about giving Banks the stage.
Some, like Brexit Bin, believed the studio was not the place for Banks to do his explaining: “Surely a court is the place for him to do that”. Others, like Andrew Adonis, put their concerns in writing: he has complained to Director General Lord Hall-Hall.
Chris Kendall focused on that supposed balance: “Why are you not interviewing @carolecadwalla?” And Paddy French at Press Gang agreed wholeheartedly. “Damn good point … By all means interview suspect Banks - but it's basic journalism to talk to the reporter who exposed the issue. Get a grip”. Will Ms Cadwalladr appear? Don’t bet on it.
The lawyers in the audience were also unimpressed, with the Secret Barrister musing “I wonder whether the BBC would give a platform to a police officer to tell viewers, in advance of criminal proceedings beginning, why they believe the person they’re investigating is guilty. Can’t for the life of me understand this one”.
But Sunday Times political editor Tim Shipman was all in favour of the exercise: “Surely interviewing Arron Banks is "news", which is usually the job of news organisations. Attack the man, demand answers, harbour suspicions: all valid. But attacking a news organisation for seeking his explanation on a matter of national interest is plain weird”. What is plain weird, though, is to expect Banksy to go anywhere near explaining himself.
The BBC seems rather too keen on ratings chasing right now. I’ll just leave that one there.
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8 comments:

Mark said...

The best news the BBC delivers now is courtesy of The Mash Report, who argued about the dangers of giving right wing idiots a platform only last night. It makes for a strangely schizophrenic BBC really, clinging to these same old excuses of 'public interest' whilst the comedians in their midst point out its damaging consequences and the hypocrisy at its heart

Anonymous said...

It's not "ratings" the BBC is "chasing".

It's political meddling to promote right wing politics through weasel words, images and editing and censorship by omission. Very often it's what its assorted propaganda clerks DON'T do that gives away their true intentions, all of it managed via what amounts to legalised bribery.

For instance, I have yet to find out what a robot like Huw Edwards actually does each day to "earn" half a million per annum - and all the others like Kuenssberg, Pienaar and Marr.

Other media is just as bad, even worse in most cases. But when will we see publication of pay of(f) given to, say, Kay "A Bit Dim" Burley? Or any of the other Sky and ITN drones such as Bradby.

God knows what these people think they see when they look in a mirror.

Anonymous said...

It's just correcting a long-standing left-wing bias the BBC has had for years.

Arnold said...

"It's a fair cop Andrew. They've got me bang to rights."
Said no sleb/politician ever.

Mark said...

@Anon 16:10, balls. Was it a left wing bias the BBC had when it reversed the footage at Orgreave?

rob said...

*** Dem doors dem doors dem closed doors ***

Marr is connected to the Gibb door
Gibb is connected to No 10's door
No 10 is connected to KRM's door
KRM is connected to Fox News door
Fox News is connected to Trump's door
Trump is connected to Farage's door
Farage is connected to Bank's door
Now hear the word of the law!

Jonathan said...

No doubt Marr will go easy on Banks

Ferdy Fox said...

"It's just correcting a long-standing left-wing bias the BBC has had for years"

Er, no. It's more about not biting the hand that feeds and preserving those fat pay-cheques.