Complaint
The programme included an item, prompted by the European Parliament vote later that day on the Brexit trade agreement, which used the theme music Dad鈥檚 Army and a clip from The Likely Lads in which outmoded English views of European national stereotypes were rehearsed.聽 A listener complained that these references contributed to a prejudicial characterisation of those who had voted to leave the EU, reflecting bias against Brexit itself.聽 The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the 大象传媒鈥檚 editorial standards of impartiality.
Outcome
The focus on the item was on current attitudes within the EU to Britain, rather than British attitudes to the EU.聽 The reporter cited Dad鈥檚 Army as emblematic of a time when Britain, although it stood alone, knew where it stood, in support of his point that, following Brexit, 鈥渢here are more shades of grey, and across Europe there鈥檚 uncertainty about how friendly, or how fractious, Britain wants things to be鈥.聽 Likewise, the clip from The Likely Lads was used to illustrate his observation that 鈥淭here are those in Europe who think that Brexit is about a British retreat to a more insular and xenophobic past鈥.聽 In neither case was there any reflection on the attitudes of the British in general or supporters of Brexit in particular, and consequently the ECU saw no grounds for interpreting them as evidence of bias against Brexit.
Not Upheld