The BBC gaslighted* the UK’s most-abused MP. Where’s the impartiality? Where’s the justice?

Diane Abbott: This is from a previous appearance on the BBC’s Question Time.

I think the BBC, Isobel Oakeshott and Fiona Bruce need to be prosecuted for the systematic, televised abuse of Diane Abbott. Don’t you?

Ms Abbott is the UK’s most-abused MP. It is beyond the pale that an organisation calling itself a public service broadcaster willingly participates in that abuse.

And it’s hardly an auspicious start for Ms Bruce’s tenure as chair that she presided over this abuse on only her second outing in the role.

Here’s the offending incident:

Momentum’s claim – that Ms Abbott was correct and Labour is neck-and-neck with the Conservatives in the polls, despite the combined efforts of the Tory-supporting media moguls – is borne out be recent poll results. See:

Notice the comment from Devutopia there: Christian Fraser on the BBC News Channel allowed a Tory stooge to say that party was “leading all the polls”, even though they weren’t.

Aaron Bastani of Novara Media adds wider context:

So it’s a campaign of disinformation by the BBC, it seems.

Survation, remember, was the only polling company that accurately predicted the result of the 2017 general election.

According to some audience members, sentiment against Ms Abbott was stoked before recording started. Here’s Jyoti Wilkinson:

Tonight I managed to wangle myself into the @bbcquestiontime audience. The way they stoked up the anti Dianne Abbott sentiment before hand was appalling – the BBC is in dire need of reform … The wangle was the fact I managed to get picked without having some underlying hatred of Dianne Abbott”.

The story is corroborated by Alison Martin:

https://twitter.com/AlisonRMartin/status/1086064617636401152

The jeers against Diane Abbott were worse than could be heard on the broadcast; was some humour at Diane’s expense from BBC staff before the recording”.

Shocking.

Mr Bastani (again) provides a little second-hand information:

I’m told that prior to broadcast of tonight’s #bbcqt Fiona Bruce came out, introduced herself to audience and gave a 10 minute talk [this is normal for QT]. Proceeded to make jokes about Dianne Abbott which were ‘in reality appaling’ then in rehearsal the floor manager did the same thing [while this is definitely not]. Abysmal”.

There’s more evidence, as you can see from this Zelo Street article.

The BBC has denied claims that Ms Abbott was treated unfairly. According to the Mirror, a spokesperson said: “We firmly reject claims that any of the Question Time team treated any of the panel unfairly before and during the recording last night.”

Meanwhile the Express has insisted that Ms Bruce and Ms Oakeshott were right to say Labour is behind in the polls, producing the result of a new survey by Tory-supporting pollsters YouGov – from January 6 and 7, nearly a week before the date of the the Survation poll quoted above.

Perhaps Ms Bruce can’t read dates – in which case one has to question her suitability for a job chairing the BBC’s mainstay political panel show.

And Ms Abbott? She has accused the Question Time team of legitimising racist abuse.

I think she has a point and I would like to see an adjudication on it.

Evolve Politics thinks the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) should be asked to judge:

Having had personal experience of IPSO, I wouldn’t advise it unless you have the patience of a saint because it can take a long time and any recommended remedial action won’t be worth the wait.

My advice?

Take the BBC straight to court instead.

*”Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or in members of a targeted group, making them question their own memory, perception… sanity” – Wikipedia.

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No Comments

  1. nmac064 January 19, 2019 at 10:15 am - Reply

    Diane Abbott is a very courageous woman. I admire her.

  2. Max Cat January 19, 2019 at 10:49 am - Reply

    What else does any one expect from the BBC and it’s chosen mouthpiece

  3. Robbie January 19, 2019 at 11:00 am - Reply

    I did not see the programme and am wary in such circumstances of clips taking comments out of context. However,I suspect the problem in taking the BBC to court on this would be that one poll at least showed a considerable gap in the Conservatives favour.
    What, in my opinion, should be of more concern to the Labour party is that they are, if Abbott is correct, only “level pegging”. They should be miles ahead at this stage of parliament and the difficulties the Conservative government is experiencing. Perhaps Corbyn, being so far adrift of May, is the problem especially instead of going to meet the prime minister and hammer out a withdrawal proposal he hides behind a “no deal” excuse.

  4. Rich January 19, 2019 at 11:16 am - Reply

    The BBC Broadcaster’s are letting the TV licence payer down by their consistent hatred towards the left on shows like Question Time, I’ve on many occasions switched over the TV channel in disgust on some of their previous shows and the treatment labeled at Diane Abbott… i got the sense that audience where suspiciously selected.

  5. Dave Rowlands January 19, 2019 at 12:12 pm - Reply

    BBC = Better Be Conservative

  6. Jeffrey Davies January 19, 2019 at 12:48 pm - Reply

    BBC the Tory mouth piece all should b sacked from this TV company and people who tell the news has it is need putting in place yet will the peasants speak out and make it so

  7. Rik January 19, 2019 at 12:51 pm - Reply

    Bloody disgusting . .
    I’d love to stop paying for a tv license but, as its a criminal offense I can’t… their bias against Labour is so blatent to see…..

  8. Hopeton Dennie January 19, 2019 at 1:12 pm - Reply

    BBC Ethics/QT

    We expect journalists to set the highest ethical standards. Brainwashing or misinforming is a no no. Just unbiasly state the most up to date facts at your disposal and trust the intelligence of your listeners/viewers to come to their own conclusion (s). BBC has its reputation to protect even at QT. Abbott deserves protection as is natural justice in everyday life. This is host Diana’s responsibility. She knows better, doesn’t she?

  9. poetrymuseum January 19, 2019 at 2:40 pm - Reply

    Hi -The BBC is not covered by IPSO. I know because I am the person who took the Sun to IPSO over the front page Court Jezter/Short money front page lies in September 2015, and I won in December and PR’s it myself and got lots of publicvity. The Sun had to apologise on its front page and correct what they had said. I never got any acknowledgement from Jeremy’s office at all but three years later the Labour PRess Office did stop the Wreathgate stories by, for the first time, taking 6 national Newspapers to IPSO. So it can work to shut down lies. Rosie Brocklehurst

  10. Carol Fraser January 19, 2019 at 3:30 pm - Reply

    #BoycottQT

  11. Ray January 19, 2019 at 7:18 pm - Reply

    Why am i not surprised by the BBC it is the mouthpeice of the tory party.

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