How Beeb spins the great debate
The BBC is accused of bias over its coverage, focusing on ‘soft’ Brexit demands, and downbeat economic stories. JACK DOYLE looks at some examples
During Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, assistant political editor Norman Smith tweeted: ‘Stand by for another tumble on the pound following Theresa May’s remarks on the single market’. Instead of interpreting events as they unfold, he predicted a negative market reaction to her comments. In fact, the pound rallied yesterday. ÷On Tuesday, the 8.10 slot on Radio 4’s Today discussed the pound, but there was little sense of balance.
The segment began: ‘It’s been a while since we last had a full-blown currency crisis – everyone panicking because the pound was falling through the floor. Well, we’re having one now. Over the past 30 years the pound has been worth on average a dollar and 64 cents. This morning it is worth a dollar and 24 cents. But is crisis the right word?’
Economics editor Kamal Ahmed told the 10 o’clock news on Tuesday the fall in the pound was a ‘fundamental market judgment on the threat to the UK economy’, warned of economic slowdown linked to Brexit and insisted ‘many economists say leaving the single market is a poor option’.
Yesterday the BBC led morning news bulletins on shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry demanding ministers give ‘clear answers to scores of questions about their plans for Britain’s departure from the EU’. Ministers have said they will not describe their negotiating strategy in detail, because to do so would reveal their hand to Brussels.
The World This Weekend on Sunday asked whether Mrs May’s conference speech caused the ‘freefall’ in the pound. A former Labour minister warned 100,000 City jobs could go, Labour Brexit spokesman Sir Keir Starmer claimed ministers weren’t ‘putting the economy first’, and a City ‘expert’ compared Brexit to a divorce ‘where one side has slept with ten people and burned down the house’. Later, the programme spoke to a Leave economist.
Last Tuesday the International Monetary Fund predicted the UK would be one of the fastest-growing Western economies this year, but slightly downgraded its forecast for next year. News at Ten put the pessimistic forecast at the top of its bulletin and only mentioned in passing the prediction for this year.