Kelvin McFilth BBC Attack Fail

After former Screws deputy editor Neil “Wolfman” Wallis appeared on Newsnight, and, to his horror, discovered that host Evan Davis wanted to ask his own questions, rather than those Wallis wanted to answer, there was, as I noted earlier, some pushback from his media pals. And that, it seemed, was that - until the intervention yesterday from someone from the least savoury period of tabloid history.

Now re-hired by the Sun - just to show what Rupe really thinks of the Hillsborough families - the paper’s former editor Kelvin McKenzie has let it be known that he not only knows the true story behind Wallis’ Newsnight appearance, but also that he is going to share his secrets with the paper’s readers, but not until later in the week after he’s had chance to make it up. Yes, Kel’s relationship with the truth is as transient as ever.

“I have never seen the BBC in such a disarray”, gasped Kel, apparently unaware that his lousy grammar was not going to get subbed, before (unfortunately) going on “I have not got the space now but will write in Thursday’s column about how Neil Wallis, the former deputy editor of the News of the World, was neatly set up by the tossers of Newsnight”. Yes Kel, they set him up with a mic and a comfy chair. In a BBC studio.

There is the usual snark at the paper that blew the lid on all that fun the Screws was having (or, as most people would call it, organised criminality on an industrial scale), as Kel tels “I suppose that since the show is edited by a former deputy editor of the Guardian, it’s what you should expect”. Yes, you should expect guests to answer the host’s questions, rather than being allowed to recite a prepared monologue.

But Kel was serious: “it’s tricks like the one they pulled on Wallis (what trick?) - and probably all politicians for that matter - that will mean a licence fee freeze, more redundancies and accepting the price of free licences for the over-75s into their budget (that’s £650million gone west)”. Think about that. Kelvin McFilth is suggesting that broadcasters should do politicians’ bidding if they know what’s good for them.

Moreover, there isn’t going to be a licence fee freeze, and the responsibility for taking on free licences for the over-75s will not transfer completely to the BBC for another five years. On top of that, the Corporation will benefit by around £150 million from not having to continue paying for broadband rollout, and closing the “iPlayer loophole”. That’s what happens when you shoot your mouth off before you have the facts before you.

And shooting your mouth off before having the facts before you is exactly what happened to Kelvin McFilth in the aftermath of the Hillsborough stadium disaster. It’s what he was unable, or unwilling, to acknowledge for years afterwards. Even when the reality was laid before him after the findings of the Hillsborough Independent Panel, it was all someone else’s fault. And he wants to lecture the BBC about journalism.

Just f*** off Kel, there’s only one tosser in this discussion - and that would be you.