The Spectator

Letters: Lord Lawson is not banned from the BBC, and Wales is wonderful

Plus: was T.S. Eliot the first poet of Britishness?

No ban on Lawson

Sir: You write that the BBC ‘has effectively banned’ Lord Lawson from items on climate change unless introduced with ‘a statement discrediting his views’ (Leading article, 12 July). There’s a lot of muddled reporting of this story. Lord Lawson hasn’t been in any sense ‘banned’, and the Editorial Complaints Unit finding didn’t suggest that he shouldn’t take part in future items. It found fault with the way the Today item was handled in two respects: firstly that it presented Lord Lawson’s views on the science of global warning as if they stood on the same footing as those of Sir Brian Hoskins, and secondly that it didn’t make clear to listeners that Lord Lawson represented a minority view. There is also no ban on other non-scientists discussing climate change. The BBC is absolutely committed to impartial and balanced coverage on this complex issue. Our position remains exactly as it was — we accept that there is broad scientific agreement on climate change and we reflect this accordingly. We do, however, on occasion offer space to dissenting voices where appropriate as part of the BBC’s overall commitment to impartiality.
Fran Unsworth Deputy director, BBC News and Current Affairs
Happy valleys
 
Sir: If there is one thing the English enjoy, it is a ‘bad news’ story about Wales, especially if written by a Welshman, and Mr Gage does us proud (‘The betrayal of Wales’, 12 July). I went to a comprehensive school too: Ysgol Eifionydd, Porthmadog. I left that school with eleven GCEs and went on to train as a teacher at Bangor Normal College (Wales).



I recently retired, after nearly 50 years of overseas service, to my birthplace: Beddgelert, a small village near Caernarfon. In December 2012 I was diagnosed with blood clots on both lungs and was admitted to Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor. I received excellent care and attention, and after several months on Warfarin and regular follow-up visits, was given the all-clear.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in