Complaint
A listener complained that an item in the programme was misleading and biased in connection with the reasons for Jeremy Corbyn鈥檚 and Diane Abbott鈥檚 suspensions by the Labour Party. 聽The presenter said 鈥淪ince becoming leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer has suspended quite a few of its members - not least Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott. 聽They and others went over charges of antisemitism鈥. 聽The listener maintained that Mr Corbyn had in fact been suspended on the pretext of electoral failure (but proposed no alternative reason in Ms Abbott鈥檚 case).聽 The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the 大象传媒鈥檚 editorial standards of accuracy and impartiality.
Outcome
Although the motion about Mr Corbyn put to the party鈥檚 National Executive by Sir Keir Starmer referred to lack of electoral success, the ECU noted he had initially been suspended because of his response to the EHRC report on anti-Semitism and the Labour Party, when a party spokesman said 鈥淚n light of his comments made today and his failure to retract them subsequently, the Labour Party has suspended Jeremy Corbyn pending investigation. He has also had the whip removed from the Parliamentary Labour Party鈥.聽 Subsequently Sir Keir said 鈥淛eremy Corbyn鈥檚 actions in response to the EHRC report undermined and set back our work in restoring trust and confidence in the Labour Party鈥檚 ability to tackle antisemitism鈥n those circumstances, I have taken the decision not to restore the whip to Jeremy Corbyn鈥.聽 In relation to Diane Abbott, the ECU noted her suspension was on account of a letter she had written to The Observer in which she included Jewish people among those whom she described as not subject to racism in the way black people were, provoking claims of anti-Semitism.聽 In view of these facts, the ECU concluded that there was no material inaccuracy in the presenter鈥檚 comments, and consequently no grounds for the allegation of bias arising from the supposed inaccuracy.
Not upheld