BBC bosses rejected my offers of antisemitism training for staff, says Lord Mann
The peer also claimed there was widespread 'ignorance' of antisemitism at the corporation
Lord Mann, the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, has said he had visited BBC bosses to offer training on understanding antisemitism on three occasions – but the offers have been ignored.
The peer revealed he had meetings with senior figures including Director General Tim Davie, but the BBC continued with their own in-house procedures.
He told The Telegraph: “Tim Davie and others who I’ve met, they’ve had those offers. And I challenge and question why they have not accepted it. More fool them. They haven’t done. They should have done.”
Referring to the scandal over the documentary Gaza: How To Survive a Warzone, which included family members of senior Hamas officials Lord Mann said: “Heads should roll. And the heads that roll shouldn’t just be the little heads.
“You know that’s always the danger with organisations the size of the BBC. Oh hey, there’s something wrong, let’s get rid of a few of the people at the bottom. No, let’s get rid of some at the top, would be my view.”
He added:“If heads don’t roll there will be [an inquiry]. They won’t be allowed to sweep it under the rug, by me and others. I will not be ignoring this. I will not be sweeping it under the carpet.”
Lord Mann also claimed there was widespread “ignorance” of antisemitism at the corporation.
He said: “I think they have got an ignorance. They have got, I think, particularly, a generational problem of people who really don’t understand it. I think it’s got a generation who haven’t been challenged with that and haven’t been educated.”
Responding to Lord Mann’s allegations, a BBC spokesman said: “As an organisation, the BBC stands united against any form of abuse, prejudice, or intolerance. The welfare of our staff is paramount, and as such we have strengthened the range of training and support available to all of the organisation’s employees and communities in the past 18 months.
“We have well-established and robust processes in place to handle any issues, concerns or complaints raised with us.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
