BBC faces ‘biggest test of impartiality’

Referendum poses more of a challenge for broadcaster than any general election, says corporation’s chief political adviser

THE EU referendum is likely to pose the biggest test to BBC impartiality in the corporation’s history, according to the executive responsible for ensuring that the broadcaster’s coverage is balanced.

Ric Bailey, the BBC’s chief political adviser, told The Daily Telegraph that the referendum posed a challenge for the broadcaster that was “bigger than any general election”, as he warned that the corporation was not required to give equal coverage to the official In and Out campaigns.

The broadcaster published its referendum guidelines last week, detailing how it will seek to achieve impartiality by focusing on the arguments for and against remaining in the EU; rather than scrupulously balancing the contributions of the two official campaigns, and it is likely to feature a range of politicians, celebrities and business figures.

Mr Bailey, who was instrumental in setting up the first televised election debates, in 2010, said the “particularly controversial” nature of Britain’s relationship with the EU meant that there was “a pretty strong argument” that the referendum would pose the biggest impartiality challenge in the corporation’s history.

He said: “It’s a particularly big choice for the country, and the BBC is particularly trusted to tell that story.

“I think it’s arguable that it’s bigger than any general election, and then there is the extra element that we will have the local elections going on too.

“With elections you’ve got a range of parties, a range of issues. The referendum, by its nature, is binary, and that makes it a particularly big challenge.”

During a normal election, the BBC is required to give proportionate coverage to different political parties, but Mr Bailey said that the same rules would not apply to the two groups that are selected to become the official In and Out campaigns.

He said: “There is often a misunderstanding that what the balance should be is between the two official campaigns. It’s not about giving the leave and remain campaigns the same amount of coverage; it’s about balancing the arguments.

“We are not going to effectively hand over the right to choose who speaks on the issues to the campaigns themselves.

“People will come to us for the im- partial facts. Part of our duty is to have a range of voices and not be locked into the idea that you have just a spokesman from each of the two campaigns.

“Maths does play a part – we obviously can’t have twice as many people on the airwaves as the other side. But at its heart it comes down to a judgment about what’s fair.”

One problem the BBC faces is how to deal with Nigel Farage. A senior Con-

‘It’s not about giving the campaigns the same amount of coverage. It’s about balancing arguments’

servative MP, who will vote to leave the EU, told The Sunday Telegraph that the Ukip leader was such a divisive figure that he could actually repel floating voters who would otherwise be drawn to the out campaign, and called on the corporation to limit his appearances.

“It’s a genuine issue,” Mr Bailey said. “He’s a leading champion on the leave side and it would be quite wrong not to make sure his voice is represented. Should his voice be the only voice on the leave side? Of course not.”