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Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has pledged to meet a Jewish BBC producer who raised allegations of antisemitism at the corporation, after her treatment was challenged in Parliament.
Nandy confirmed she has personally discussed the case of Oscar-winning filmmaker Lucie Kon with BBC Director-General Matt Brittin and would meet her in the coming weeks.
The announcement came after MP Rebecca Smith called for an independent inquiry into antisemitism at the broadcaster, warning that Jewish employees were reporting racism at work.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Smith accused the BBC of failing to tackle antisemitism and described its treatment of Kon as “appalling”.
Nandy responded: “This is something I’ve discussed directly with the director-general of the BBC, and I will be meeting Lucie in the coming weeks to discuss this directly with her.”
Kon, a former BBC commissioning editor who worked on the Oscar-winning documentary Mr Nobody Against Putin, reportedly received a £400,000 settlement after raising allegations of antisemitism and discrimination following the 7 October Hamas attacks.
She alleged that colleagues had described Zionists as “evil” and that she was prevented from overseeing a documentary about the attacks because she had “skin in the game”.
The BBC has not admitted liability.
Nandy acknowledged that the broadcaster still had work to do, despite efforts to address antisemitism alongside the Board of Deputies and other Jewish organisations.
“I do firmly recognise that there is more to be done, and we want the BBC to be an exemplar of how the Jewish community are treated in this country,” she said.
She added: “This government does not believe antisemitism is just a problem for Jewish people to solve. It is a test of the society that we are seeking to build together, and we all have to step up and be counted.”
Reacting on X, Kon welcomed this intervention, revealing that former colleagues had contacted her since her experiences became public.
“For three years I was told to keep quiet. This morning my case was raised in Parliament,” she wrote.
“I’m looking forward to that conversation.”
She said many former colleagues had expressed sympathy, while others told her they were unsurprised by what happened.
“Sadly, most have also said they’re not surprised by what they’ve read and heard. One called it straight out of the BBC playbook.”
Calling for change, Kon added: “Change doesn’t happen because you say you’ve changed. It happens when you listen to the people the system is failing, and act on what they tell you.”
The parliamentary exchange comes days after Brittin acknowledged recent allegations of antisemitism in an internal email to BBC staff, promising renewed efforts to improve workplace culture.
In response to an enquiry from Jewish News, the BBC confirmed that Kon has requested a meeting with Brittin in August, after leaving the corporation in April
However, she was instead offered the opportunity to raise her concerns with Chief People Officer Uzair Qadeer, whom the BBC described as best placed to consider staffing matters.
The corporation said Kon had met the previous Director-General twice in 2023 and that it was unaware of any further contact from her following the offer.
Despite the experiences, Kon ended her statement by reaffirming her belief in the broadcaster.
“I believe in the BBC. It should hold itself to the standards it holds everyone else to.”
Jewish News has contacted the BBC for comment on Nandy’s remarks.
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