View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

BBC says it ‘should have challenged’ climate scepticism from Lord Lawson on Today programme

By PA Mediapoint

The BBC has said that it “should have challenged” claims made by politician Lord Nigel Lawson contesting evidence about climate change.

The former Chancellor of the Exchequer made the claims during an interview on the Today programme in August.

Referring to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change he said there had been “no increase in extreme weather events” and that “mean global temperature has slightly declined” in the last years.

The statements were followed by complaints from some viewers.

According to the Guardian, a letter has now been issued by the BBC’s executive complaints unit that “now accepts the interview breached its guidelines on accuracy and impartiality”.

The publication quoted the letter stating that Lord Lawson’s statements “were, at the least, contestable and should have been challenged”.

A spokesperson for the broadcaster said that the latter comment referred to the content of Lord Lawson’s claims and added that there were other guests present on the programme that offered “different views”.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

The Global Warming Policy Forum, a London-based campaign group chaired by Lord Lawson, later said on Twitter that his information was “erroneous”.

Picture: Reuters/Toby Melville

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network