The BBC: Living on borrowed time
Recently Boris Johnson has hinted at decriminalising non-payment of the TV licence, a matter on which contributor, David Hardy agrees.
Is it ever possible to de-radicalise groups that hold strong political opinions? What if such a group happened to be 'frighteningly' dedicated to the causes in which it believes to the point of fanaticism? Nor do such groups need to be radical or indeed dissident. They might not necessarily operate on the fringes of society. They can and do walk amongst us. 'Frighteningly' dedicated to the cause was in fact how former BBC Director General, Mark Thompson once characterised his BBC colleagues in an interview with the New Statesman . . .
The question arises: what exactly is the BBC cause? 'Resisting' democratically elected presidents and prime ministers? Throwing a blanket over Macron's brutality towards protesters and marchers? Agitating for regime change in Syria and elsewhere? Promoting climate change? Reversing Brexit? If these are indeed BBC causes, on whose behalf are they pursued?
In recent weeks Thompson's assessment has been proven correct beyond any reasonable doubt. Certainly, the broadcaster's Brexit Day coverage has exposed an ineluctable reality: the modern BBC has effectively morphed into a hard-core political campaigning group – a transformation expressly in breach of the terms and conditions of its Royal Charter obligation to remain impartial and politically neutral. Consider its behaviour the week-end just gone.
According to the broadcaster, 'several hundred' people celebrated the UK's exit from the EU in Parliament Square on Friday night. Yet video footage circulating on social media clearly showed huge crowds had gathered in central London – tens of thousands enjoying what appeared to be a party atmosphere, which may or may not explain the BBC's steadfast refusal to broadcaster live footage of the celebrations. Instead, it focused on SNP protests up in Edinburgh. After many years of steadfast opposition, suddenly the broadcaster has a taste for Scottish independence . . . Who else but the 'British' Broadcasting Corporation could pull such a cynical U-turn?
Meanwhile, back in the Newsnight studio the broadcaster's Brexit Day agenda was revealed – albeit inadvertently – by Labour MP Lisa Nandy who observed that, 'All I've been seeing on BBC screens today is Tory MPs arguing.' The Conservative Party is, you see, 'spilt' over EU membership – a timeless BBC narrative. Scottish National Party protests and Tory MPS arguing, the broadcaster's Brexit Day coverage summed up the modern BBC to a tee: deceptive, calculating, beyond reform.
Reports of the Brexit celebrations, when they did briefly arrive, had a predictable feel about them. 'It's a very white crowd,' remarked a BBC reporter regurgitating yet another BBC trope i.e. at heart Brexit is a racist endeavour. Who else but a member of the 'British' Broadcasting Corporation could make such a crass comment at a time of celebration? But BBC behaviour is hard-wired.
The country's supposed national broadcaster had already refused to air Boris Johnson's address to the nation on this, one of the most momentous days in British history. It was an act of sheer petulance from an organisation forced to face reality: its mission to radically change Britain's social and cultural landscape beyond recognition had stalled. Auntie was livid. Note that its Royal Charter obliges the BBC to 'inform' the public. Yet here was a moment in British history every bit as significant as Churchill's 'finest hour' speech and Edward VIII's abdication. Only not according to the 'national' broadcaster.
It just went from bad to worse. A video released to coincide with Brexit Day by CBBC aimed at 8-10 year olds bristled with antipathy. Worse still was its recycling of a grievous piece of deceit: the film opened with 'comedian' Nish Kumar informing the target audience that, 'Britain is striking out on its own and leaving Europe . . .' Deliberately conflating the geographical continent of Europe with the political construct that is the EU has been a favourite tactic of a broadcaster seemingly determined to inject misinformation into the public realm. Leaving Europe . . . it sounds so much more cataclysmic than merely leaving the EU. Fake news, BBC style.
Viewers then had the dubious pleasure of watching a snarling Queen Victoria perform a tasteless music hall vignette in which she learns – much to her horror – that tea and sugar are not British! 'British things,' tweeted CBBC, 'turns out there's hardly any.' The sneering, antagonistic tone left many observers angered including the broadcaster's own Andrew Neil. 'This is anti-British drivel of a high order,' observed Mr Neil.
Witnessing BBC antics this past week-end it is difficult not to conclude this tax-payer funded organisation has gone rogue. Its output was characterised by bias and loathing. And it showed. Its contempt towards the British public – the ordinary men and women who had dared to disobey it in the 2016 referendum – was all too evident. The broadcaster's response to Brexit Day was predictably spiteful and mean-spirited: to mock British tradition and heritage, whatever it believes is valued by ordinary men and women.
So what next? What has the 'national' broadcaster got planned in order to undermine Brexit? The answer is of course more of the same: 'Brexit leads to a sharp drop in au pairs,' reported its news website just days ago. Smarting in defeat, the BBC is set to oppose and undermine the government's every move in the Brexit negotiations. If he hasn't realised it yet, Boris Johnson will soon discover that the real obstacle to Brexit progress is not Michel Barnier et al, but rather Britain's own publicly-funded, very bitter state broadcaster. The BBC has a new mission: to agitate to re-join its beloved EU. In order to achieve this end it will try every deceitful trick in the book to hinder a successful post-Brexit UK.
The topic of BBC dishonesty is the main theme of my new book, The Fake News Factory: Tales from BBC-land. Analysing BBC coverage of topics like Brexit the book argues that the broadcaster has gone past the point of no return, that it is no longer fit-for-purpose and that the corporation is indeed beyond reform. Auntie might be rocking on her heels right now, but she's a resilient old bird – one simmering with indignation. Something far-reaching must be done. A slapped wrist will simply not suffice.
Recently Boris Johnson has hinted at decriminalising non-payment of the TV licence, a matter on which he and I agree. Such a measure could revolutionise the UK's media landscape, especially as far as the BBC is concerned. It cannot come soon enough. Because if the BBC's antics of the past week are anything to go by, Britain's post-Brexit security as well as its future prosperity now depends on the prime minister dealing with this corrosive, pernicious institution once and for all.
