Lisa Nandy ‘not satisfied' with BBC's Bob Vylan response

Telegraph

a day ago

The Culture Secretary has said she is not satisfied with the BBC's response to the Bob Vylan furore and has demanded 'accountability at the highest levels'.
Lisa Nandy told MPs that the corporation's leadership failed to provide her with answers as to how the rap duo's Glastonbury performance was broadcast unedited.
She criticised the broadcaster for failing to carry out due diligence on the band after a new video emerged of its frontman, Bobby Vylan, saying 'death to every single IDF soldier out there as an agent of terror for Israel' at a gig in London last month.
The Telegraph disclosed on Monday that Tim Davie, the BBC's director-general, was present at the festival.
He learnt about Bob Vylan's 'death, death to the IDF' chants and rant about a 'Zionist' record company boss shortly after they were made but did not ask for the livestream to be taken down.
Addressing the House of Commons, Ms Nandy said: 'I'm not satisfied with the response I've had.
'I'm not satisfied with that and I have gone back to the BBC leadership to ask for further information – in particular about the failure to pull the live feed, about the due diligence that was done prior to deciding to screen this act and also about the level of senior oversight that took place in the BBC during the Glastonbury weekend.
'I think the BBC leadership will hear and have heard the strength of feeling in this House about this, and I expect further answers to be forthcoming imminently.'
Ms Nandy added that there is 'a very important distinction between independence and accountability.'
She went on to say: 'Given the seriousness of what happened and in particular the absolutely shocking stories of the impact this has had on the Jewish community in this country – given the seriousness of this – I would expect there to be accountability at the highest levels.'
Stuart Andrew, the shadow culture secretary, accused the BBC of failing to supply 'even basic facts' about what went wrong.
He said: 'There were hundreds of BBC staff there and not being able to identify who ultimately had the final decision on whether to broadcast or not is not acceptable.
'I think the chairman needs to inform [Ms Nandy] as a matter of urgency who that was and what action they are going to take.'