Today, 大象传媒 Radio 4, 15 February 2024

Complaint

A listener complained an interview about an increase in antisemitic incidents in the UK failed to mention the role played by the Labour party and Sir Keir Starmer. 聽The ECU considered whether the broadcast met the 大象传媒 requirements for due impartiality.


Outcome

The Community Security Trust, whose report was under discussion, found that Sir Keir鈥檚 family members had been mentioned by people making antisemitic comments, but did not otherwise mention him (or Jeremy Corbyn) in their report. On the Labour Party more generally they recorded 45 incidents from a total of 4,103 as being connected to Labour, but said these were 鈥渋ncidents related to events in, or arguments about, the Labour Party, and should not be treated as a measure of incidents perpetrated by Labour Party members (which CST is not in a position to assess)鈥. 聽It did not therefore seem to the ECU that the authors shared the complainant鈥檚 belief that the rise in antisemitic incidents could only be understood with reference to the Labour Party and Sir Keir Starmer. 聽Moreover, it was open to the guest, from the Board of 聽Deputies of British Jews, to give her own response to the questions on the factors behind the rise in antisemitism. 聽In the ECU鈥檚 view neither impartiality nor accuracy would demand that the presenter raise this issue.

Not Upheld