25/7/22: Superseding a decision by the BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit, Ofcom has ruled that BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme did breach impartiality rules in a February 2021 interview with Ruth Davidson.
The programme covered a continuing dispute between the Scottish Government and former Scottish National Party leader, Alex Salmond, who had been accused of sexual harassment while in office. (Salmond was cleared of all charges relating to the allegations in 2020.) In February 2021 the former First Minister pulled out of an appearance before the parliamentary inquiry into the claims after part of his written submission to it had been apparently redacted from the Scottish Parliament website post-publication.
For the programme, World at One interviewed Ruth Davidson, who then led the Conservatives at the Scottish Parliament. Davidson charged that the redaction “got to the structure of democracy in Scotland and whether our institutions are robust or whether they have been corrupted”. The programme did not hear from a representative of the governing SNP, although the BBC told Ofcom its staff made repeated attempts to secure an interview.
The BBC argued to Ofcom that the show did not breach impartiality standards because later broadcasts the same day did feature a range of views, and that both BBC and Ofcom rules permit impartiality to be achieved across different programmes.
Ofcom disagreed: “Given the gravity of Ruth Davidson’s accusations regarding the Scottish Government, her strong and continued criticism and the fact that she was able to express her views at length, we did not consider that alternative perspectives were given due weight within the programme.”
Ofcom said the interviewer could have “used robust questioning or provided stronger challenge to Ruth Davidson’s statements during the interview. Instead, in the programme as broadcast, reference to Nicola Sturgeon’s position on the allegations made against her and the SNP was scant”. (Full ruling here)
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