Latest news with #impartiality
Times
31-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Gary Lineker: I thought antisemitism apology would be enough for BBC
Gary Lineker has admitted that he thought his apology should have been enough to save his job at the BBC after he reposted an antisemitic social media post. In his first interview since leaving the broadcaster, Lineker agreed that he left the corporation in a case of 'quit or be quitted' after he 'mistakenly' shared the post. The former Match of the Day presenter, who was the highest paid presenter at the BBC on £1.35 million, said he had not noticed the depiction of the rat, an antisemitic trope, in the post criticising Israel's war in Gaza. In an interview with The New World, formerly The New European, Lineker said: 'I made a mistake and I immediately took it [the social media post] down and apologised, which I thought should have been enough.' The former England striker, who hosted the popular Saturday night programme for 26 years before he left in May, said that he believed he had complied with the BBC's impartiality rules as he had looked at the war in Gaza 'without a vested interest'. 'I've got no skin in the game. I'm not Muslim, I'm not Palestinian, I'm not Israeli, I'm not Jewish. I come from a place of complete impartiality. And then it becomes about truth,' he said. 'People talked about me being antisemitic. I'm not anti-any group of people. Any race, any colour. But I am anti the killing of children.' It was initially believed that Lineker — who said he had a good relationship with Tim Davie, the BBC's director-general — quit the highlights show voluntarily. But in the interview, the former host said he had no choice but to leave the BBC. When asked if he had quit or if he was sacked, Lineker said: 'The latter.' Linker had hoped to stay at the national broadcaster until next year's World Cup, but BBC bosses decided to end his tenure early. Lineker, who is now focusing on his successful podcast company, Goalhanger, which produces The Rest is Politics and The Rest is Football, said he had not noticed the rat emoji on the bottom of the social media post before he reposted it to his 8.7 million followers. The rat accompanied footage of a Canadian-Palestinian lawyer attacking the war in Gaza with the caption: 'Zionism explained in two minutes'. 'I missed it [the rat emoji]. I genuinely didn't see it,' he said. 'I'm not an idiot. I may not have known it was an antisemitic trope, but I would have wondered why someone had put a rat there. I wouldn't do that on purpose — it would be the biggest act of self-harm ever. It was a tough couple of days.' Lineker had hoped to finish his BBC career with an interview with the Liverpool striker Mo Salah, but BBC bosses pulled the broadcast. The former Leicester City and Barcelona star had been in the crosshairs of BBC bosses for several years for his outspoken views on several issues, including the war in Gaza and immigration. In March 2023, Lineker was temporarily suspended from the BBC over comments he made criticising the then-Tory government's new asylum policy. He was also among 500 high-profile figures who signed an open letter in February urging the BBC to reinstate a documentary on Gaza on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
23-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Belfast Pride: Head of NI Civil Service warned over involvement
The head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) was warned it would be "open to the charge of acting politically" by taking part in Belfast Brady was told by a senior adviser there would be "criticism for any decision the NICS takes", according to internal are due to participate in the LGBT parade on Saturday, but its involvement has been questioned by some politicians over impartiality NICS has said it is "committed to being an inclusive employer". In March, Belfast Pride decided to exclude Stormont executive parties from the summer parade for supporting a ban on puberty blockers for under blockers are drugs used to delay or prevent puberty happening and have sometimes been prescribed to children questioning their move by Belfast Pride led to a clash of opinions behind the scenes among senior NICS staff over how to respond, according to emails released through a Freedom of Information (FOI) one email, Ms Brady was told there would be "significant interest to the media and you will be the focus of the story"."It is fair to assume that there will be criticism for any decision the NICS takes," the correspondence from a senior communications adviser message said that "attending the parade leaves the NICS and you open to the charge of acting politically".But it added that "not attending also leaves you open to the charge that we are not living up to our commitments to be a fair and equitable employer". Ms Brady was advised that "there should be engagement at a political level before a final decision is taken" on a press separate emails, the Executive Office official advised having a "conversation with FMdFM (first minister and deputy first minister) and the finance minister" before finalising a official drafted a "holding line" which said the NICS would have internal discussions before making a decision on this year's Pride a senior Department of Finance (DoF) official responded: "For a number of reasons I don't think we should say that."The official added that NICS participation "as an employer" was "different to political attendance".A note of a meeting in June said the finance minister - Sinn Féin's John O'Dowd, whose department has responsibility for civil service matters - was "content for NICS to retain a presence at Pride".Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) criticised the continued involvement of NICS in the party's equality spokesperson Ann McClure said the NICS was "fully aware of the political sensitivities" but "pressed ahead regardless".She questioned whether deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly, of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), was consulted. In a statement the DUP said that NICS participation was "a decision for the head of the NI Civil Service, not ministers"."Public sector organisations should not be involved in political campaigns," a party spokesman Executive Office and Department of Finance have been approached for a previous statement, the DoF said the NICS was "committed to being an inclusive employer".It said the "Civil Service LGBTQ+ Staff Network has participated in the Belfast Pride parade since 2018"."The network plans to participate in the Pride parade as it has done since then," it NICS is one of Northern Ireland's largest employers with around 24,000 Belfast Pride parade is the main event in the city's annual LGBT festival, which involves more than 150 events across 10 days.
BBC News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
North Yorkshire Police bans uniformed officers from joining Pride events
Uniformed officers from North Yorkshire Police will no longer be able to take part in Pride events, the force chief has news follows a High Court ruling that the participation of uniformed Northumbria Police officers in a Newcastle Pride event last year was Yorkshire Chief Constable Tim Forber said the only officers on duty and in uniform at future events would be those "actively engaged in policing the event".He said: "It is absolutely essential that the police act impartially at all times and are seen to do so by all the communities we serve. Participating in protest activity, or parades that support any 'cause' can quite rightly undermine the public's confidence in that impartiality." Mr Forber said: "Any North Yorkshire Police officer who wishes to 'participate' in a parade or lawful protest may do so, but they must be off duty and are not permitted to wear their uniform."I do not allow the altering of police uniform or the changing of the livery of police vehicles to show support for any cause."York Pride has been contacted for comment by the move comes in contrast to previous occasions, when officers, PCSOs, special constables, staff and volunteers have paraded and patrolled at York Yorkshire officers have also participated in pride events in Scarborough Pride 2024, the force said it was "important for North Yorkshire Police to be represented" and show support. North Yorkshire Police said in a statement the change had been "very much driven by the change of chief constable in April 2024 when Tim Forber joined us".The force said: "There is also a sense that the public's attitude to policing has shifted over recent years and that the public appreciate and expect policing to focus on its core activities."Asked whether the stance might discourage victims of hate crime to come forward, the force said: "NYP does not tolerate discriminatory behaviour against members of the LGBTQ+ community – and we encourage the reporting of these crimes and incidents from victims."For an event such as York Pride we made provision for our Hate Crime team to be present at our stand at Knavesmire."We hope that by demonstrating our openness and impartiality, it will encourage anyone who is the subject of a hate crime to come forward and report to us."A High Court judge ruled last week that Northumbria Police Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine's decision to allow uniformed police officers to take part in a Pride march was "outside the range of reasonable decisions open to her". Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Daily Mail
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Anger as Gaza documentary producer allegedly celebrated Palestinian terrorists as 'martyrs' - including one who gunned down Jewish boy, 14, and six others in Holocaust Memorial Day killing spree
A producer of a Gaza documentary axed by the BBC over impartiality concerns - but later shown on Channel 4 - is accused of having called a terrorist who brutally gunned down seven Israeli s as a 'martyr' and of previously having shared 'celebratory' footage of the October 7 attacks. Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, was originally commissioned by the BBC more than a year ago. However, the corporation paused its production in April following the launch of an investigation into another documentary, Gaza: How To Survive A War Zone, which featured the son of a Hamas minister - a fact omitted by filmmakers. Instead, Channel 4 aired the documentary, made by Basement Films, on July 2 after saying it had gone through 'rigorous fact-checking and extensive compliance processes'. The broadcaster had concluded the film was 'duly impartial'. But concerns have now arisen over social media posts shared by Osama Al Ashi, one of the two Gazan producers of the documentary, The Telegraph claims. In one, the producer is said to have described Khairi Alqam as a 'martyr' on January 27, 2023, the same day the 21-year-old from East Jerusalem carried out a deadly mass shooting in the settlement of Neve Yaakov. The settlement is considered illegal under international law, although Israel disputes that view. Seven people were killed, including a 14-year-old child, after Alqam opened fire on worshippers leaving a synagogue on Holocaust Memorial Day. The terrorist was shot dead shortly afterwards by police as he fled from the scene. It is also claimed that in a now-deleted post, Ashi shared a video montage of photographs showing Alqam alongside the caption: 'The martyr Khairi Alqam – may God have mercy on him and forgive him'. Ashi is also said to have shared footage on October 7, 2023, showing Hamas terrorists flying into Israel by paraglider and described them as 'the resistance'. A caption underneath his post reads: 'These are the videos that settlers are now circulating of the resistance storming and infiltrating the occupied territories in the Gaza Strip.' Ashi was also said to have shared a video on October 7, 2023 to TikTok showing Hamas rockets being fired into Israel. He is additionally said to have called a Hamas terrorist who shot three Israelis as a 'wounded hero' while sharing social media posts during rising violence between Israel and Hamas in 2016. In response to the claims put to him, Ashi deleted several social media posts and told The Telegraph his posts 'have absolutely nothing to do with Hamas.' The producer added he only wanted to share news and updates through reposts, and he did not have 'time to analyse' the material shared on October 7, 2023, due to the rapidly developing nature of events. However the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (Camera UK), a media monitoring organisation, said the sharing of such posts has raised red flags. A Camera UK spokesman said: 'A producer who celebrates the deaths of Israeli civilians on what he sees as 'the other side', and who appears unable to distinguish them from legitimate military targets, cannot be considered an impartial observer.' Basement Films defended Ashi and said claims put forward by The Telegraph posed a threat to his safety. A spokesperson said: 'Osama has not posted anything himself about Oct 7 but shared news and other posts on social media as it was breaking, and The Telegraph interpretations of these tweets are misleading.' Channel 4 previously said it had fact-checked Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, to ensure the documentary met editorial standards and the Ofcom Broadcasting Code. Louisa Compton, Channel 4's head of news and current affairs and specialist factual and sport, issued a statement at the time saying: 'We are showing this programme because we believe that, following thorough fact-checking and verification, we are presenting a duly impartial view of a subject that both divides opinion and frequently provokes dispute about what constitutes a fact. 'Channel 4 has a strong tradition of putting uncomfortable reporting in front of our audiences. 'In doing so, we know we will antagonise somebody somewhere sometime. But we do it because we believe it is our duty to tell important journalistic stories – especially those that aren't being told elsewhere.' The BBC announced in June that it would not broadcast Gaza: Doctors Under Attack after concerns over impartiality. 'We wanted the doctors' voices to be heard,' the broadcaster said in a statement. 'Our aim was to find a way to air some of the material in our news programmes, in line with our impartiality standards, before the review was published. 'For some weeks, the BBC has been working with Basement Films to find a way to tell the stories of these doctors on our platforms.' But, the corporation added it would no longer be possible to air the documentary. 'We have come to the conclusion that broadcasting this material risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC. 'Impartiality is a core principle of BBC News. It is one of the reasons that we are the world's most trusted broadcaster. 'Therefore, we are transferring ownership of the film material to Basement Films.' The debate arose just months after critics were enraged by the BBC's failure to disclose the narrator of Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone was the son of a senior member of Hamas. It was originally broadcast on BBC Two on February 17 with the aim of showing a 'vivid and unflinching view of life' in the strip. The documentary was made by two producers based in London who remotely directed two cameramen on the ground over nine months. However, independent investigative journalist David Collier discovered one of the child narrators, Abdullah, was the son of a Hamas government minister and grandson of one of Hamas's founding members. Using Facebook and publicly available data online, Mr Collier found the young narrator was the son of Gaza's deputy minister of agriculture, Dr Ayman Al-Yazouri. This meant his grandfather is Hamas founder Ibrahim Al-Yazouri, previously jailed by Egypt and Israel for involvement in proscribed groups. The BBC subsequently apologised, with a spokesperson for the corporation saying at the time: 'Since the transmission of our documentary on Gaza, the BBC has become aware of the family connections of the film's narrator, a child called Abdullah. 'We've promised our audiences the highest standards of transparency, so it is only right that as a result of this new information, we add some more detail to the film before its retransmission. 'We apologise for the omission of that detail from the original film.' A BBC report published earlier this week concluded the documentary, which was pulled from iPlayer in February, had breached editorial guidelines on accuracy. The review also found three members of independent production company Hoyo Films knew about the family connections of the narrator, but the BBC did not. BBC staff however were not 'sufficiently proactive' with their editorial checks.
The Independent
18-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Off-duty officers in Pride event told not to wear items linking them to police
Off-duty Northumbria Police officers who choose to take part in a Pride event this weekend have been told they must not wear clothing linking them to the force. The decision by Northumbria Police comes after a court ruled that the force acted unlawfully by allowing its officers to take part in a Pride event last year. High Court judge Mr Justice Linden said his ruling on Wednesday related only to the 2024 event and that it was up to the force to decide how it approaches Saturday's parade. Northumbria Police has now confirmed uniformed officers will not be permitted to take part and said any of those who are off-duty and do participate must not visibly identify themselves as being officers or members of the force through clothing, flags, or accessories. In an update on Friday, the force also said any participating off-duty officers must not 'express support for political aims (e.g. changes to law or policy) or opposition to other lawful views'. On-duty attendance 'is only permitted where it forms part of the official policing response', the force said. In a statement it said the approach was 'designed to maintain public confidence in our impartiality, while also respecting our employees' individual rights under the European Convention on Human Rights'. It added: 'This guidance is not about limiting personal expression, but about ensuring that when our people represent Northumbria Police, they do so in a way that is fair, balanced, and impartial to all communities.' Lindsey Smith, who describes herself as a 'gender critical' lesbian, took legal action against Northumbria Police over its decision to allow officers to participate in the Newcastle Pride in the City event last July, in which she also participated. Lawyers for Ms Smith told the High Court that the officers' involvement breached impartiality rules, and that the decision to allow them to take part was unlawful, although barristers for the force opposed the challenge, claiming the decision, made by Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine, was within her 'discretion'. In his judgment, Mr Justice Linden said Ms Smith is opposed to 'gender ideology', which she believes is 'wrong and dangerous' but has been 'embraced' by the organisers of the event, Northern Pride. While Ms Smith agreed that the event should be policed, she objected to officers 'associating themselves with the views of supporters of gender ideology and transgender activists by actively participating', the judge said. Last year's event saw uniformed officers march with some carrying flags which included Pride colours alongside police insignia, and others wearing uniforms with the word 'Police' in Pride colours. There was also a 'static display' staffed by uniformed officers, which displayed a Progressive Pride flag, which includes representation of transgender and non-binary people, people of marginalised ethnicities and those living with Aids, the judge said. A police van with the colours of the transgender Pride flag painted on its sides was also present, the court was told. Northumbria Police said it will have a community engagement display at Northern Pride this weekend, adding that it believed a complete withdrawal of police engagement from such events 'would be a retrograde step and damage trust and confidence amongst members of LGBTQ+ community'. The force added: 'We want to ensure everyone knows that we are absolutely here for them when they need us.' The LGB Alliance charity called on the rest of the UK's police forces to follow suit on the withdrawal of uniformed officers from such events and to put in place measures around the participation of off-duty officers. The charity's chief executive Kate Barker said: 'Since our founding, LGB Alliance has been working with police and crime commissioners to raise our supporters' concerns about partisan policing that favours gender activists over LGB people. 'We will continue this work until the UK's remaining 42 forces follow the lead of their colleagues in Northumbria, and stop endorsing a movement they do not understand.'
