A LABOUR MP has written to BBC director general Tim Davie complaining about Boris Johnson’s “bare-faced lies” going unchallenged during an interview following the Hartlepool by-election.
Justin Madders, who represents Ellesmere Port and Neston, said during the TV interview on May 7 – after the Tories humiliated Labour by wresting the seat from them for the first time in 62 years – the Prime Minister made three statements that were “demonstrably false”.
Johnson said that thanks to Brexit: “We have been able to go ahead with the [Teeside] freeport. We were able to deal with the European SuperLeague. We were able to do things a bit differently with the vaccine rollout.”
Madders (below) said freeports have existed here since 2012, when we were in the EU; the SuperLeague was a matter for Uefa and not the EU; and the head of the medicines agency MHRA had confirmed the third point was incorrect.
He wrote: “These are not matters of interpretation of debate, they are not exaggerations or spin, they are bare-faced lies and they are lies that any journalist ought to have challenged the moment they were said, not left unedited and then beamed out to the nation without comment.”
He then outlined the BBC’s editorial guidelines and the regulator Ofcom’s code, adding: “In the era of misinformation it is vital that a supposed trusted national broadcaster such as the BBC ensures that its broadcasts are accurate and that the highest editorial standards are maintained.”
Lawyer, journalist and filmmaker Peter Stefanovic, whose videos deconstructing Johnson’s porkies have racked up almost 20 million views, did an online analysis of the Hartlepool interview, saying: “Boris Johnson just thanked the people of Hartlepool by telling them as many bare-faced lies as he could cram into 30 seconds! Watch in disbelief.”
Wow! We did it!! 15 million views!!
— Peter Stefanovic (@PeterStefanovi2) May 4, 2021
By working TOGETHER we have sent a message to UK media that if they won’t hold this Prime Minister to account for his relentless lying we will damn well do it ourselves!
When will you catch up @BBCNews @BBCBreakfast? pic.twitter.com/PlvEkEij1V
A BBC spokesperson told The National: “The broadcast Mr Madders appears to refer to is a pooled clip of the Prime Minister speaking in Hartlepool, made available to all broadcasters, rather than a BBC interview.
“We have not yet received the letter from Mr Madders but will reply to him directly when we do.”
They said they had fact-checked Johnson’s claims and found there are about 80 freeports around the EU, which meant the Teesside freeport could have happened without Brexit – as they had previously pointed out.
“The tax breaks offered as part of the scheme can probably be more generous now they do not need to be cleared by the European Commission though. But, under the UK’s trade deal with the EU, any such subsidies need to be justified or they could – in theory – trigger action from the EU,” the spokesperson added.
“The UK has certainly made changes in its border policies, with a new immigration system and ending freedom of movement for EU citizens (which also applies to UK citizens going to the EU).”
The fact-check said it was “unclear” how Brexit affected the Government’s ability to deal with the SuperLeague.
“Big clubs in several EU countries refused to sign up to the breakaway competition (while six English clubs did) – which subsequently collapsed.
“We’ve asked Downing Street to explain this claim but have not heard back.”
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