Naga race row: Now ex-bosses blast BBC

A STRING of ex-BBC executives yesterday criticised the Corporation’s handling of the Naga Munchetty race row.

Lord Grade and Rod Liddle added to the controversy after the BBC Breakfast presenter criticised comments made by President Donald Trump.

Miss Munchetty was found to have breached editorial guidelines by the Corporation’s complaints unit, a ruling which was then reversed by director-general Lord Hall on Monday after a public outcry.

But Lord Grade, a former BBC chairman, and Mr Liddle – ex-editor of Radio 4’s Today programme – have condemned his reaction.

Defending the original judgment, Lord Grade told Newsnight: ‘This isn’t about race, this is about impartiality... it can’t cross the line into opinion about political figures like Donald Trump.’

Asked if he thought the ruling alienated some viewers, he said: ‘I don’t care who it alienated, the BBC’s impartiality is sacrosanct and the BBC has to defend that.’

Mr Liddle also said Lord Hall should have supported the decision of the Executive Complaints Unit (ECU). ‘It seems strange to me that Naga was picked up on when the BBC’s Washington correspondents both described Trump’s comments as racist,’ he added. ‘That being said, surely the director-general should abide by the decisions of the ECU. It is not right simply to overturn them just like that.’

Miss Munchetty, 44, had condemned Mr Trump for telling female Democratic politicians to ‘go back’ to where they came from. She had been prompted by co-presenter Dan Walker during a BBC Breakfast broadcast in July.

Roger Mosey, who also edited Today and was head of BBC Television News, said staff are ‘deeply confused’ after last week’s ECU ruling was overturned.

‘In the pickle he was in, Lord Hall had no choice but to overrule his complaints unit,’ he said. ‘But BBC staff are now telling me they’re deeply confused about the Corporation’s attitude to impartiality.

‘Is it OK for presenters to say what they think, or do guidelines still require them to be neutral?’

He added that Lord Hall’s ‘next job should be to reinforce the BBC’s traditional values’. Mr Mosey said: ‘Audiences want to hear the news delivered in a straightforward and impartial way, and they don’t want presenters to give a commentary about how they feel about things.’

A BBC spokesman said: ‘Our impartiality is fundamental to our journalism and the director-general was clear these are often finely balanced and difficult judgments.’