Nandy warns MPs of ‘serious concerns and failings’ within BBC Arabic service

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has told the House of Commons there are “serious concerns and failings” within the BBC Arabic service.

Addressing MPs in a week of turmoil that saw the resignations of Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News chief executive Deborah Turness, Nandy said the BBC “must renew its mission for the modern age.”

But she also warned that two senior departures alone would not solve the broadcaster’s deep-rooted challenges.

Responding to concerns raised by Shadow Culture Secretary Nigel Huddlestone over bias at the BBC in relation to its coverage on Israel, Nandy said she had been in front of MPs “too many times” to provide updates on “editorial failings” such as the Gaza documentary narrated by the son of a Hamas official, and over the coverage of the Bob Vylan concert at the Glastonbury Festival.

She said:”I am pleased the chair of the BBC, Dr Samir Shah, has accepted where the institution has made mistakes … and is setting out concrete actions.”

But Nandy continued:”I think it is important to recognise that there have been serious concerns and failings on the part of the BBC Arabic service.

“In response to that, in his letter to the chair of the Select Committee, Dr Shah set out a number of steps that are being taken.

“I understand these include structural changes as well as individual staff changes.”

A leaked memo written by  Michael Prescott – a former independent adviser to the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and Standards Board – had accused BBC Arabic of anti-Israel bias in its coverage of the war in Gaza.

Reflecting on the exit of the Davie and Turness, she said:”Two resignations are not the answer to the challenges that the BBC has faced, not just over the last week, but in recent months.”

But Nandy also cautioned against what she described as “clearly politicised attacks” on the broadcaster.

“There is a fundamental difference between raising serious concerns over editorial failings and members of this House launching a sustained attack on the institution itself, because the BBC is not just a broadcaster, it is a national institution that belongs to us all,” she told MPs.

During the Commons session, MPs from both Labour and the Liberal Democrats called for the sacking of BBC board member Sir Robbie Gibb, a former Conservative adviser.

Sarah Owen MP asked Nandy if she would review Gibb’s influence on the board, while Liberal Democrat MP Anna Sabine joined calls for his removal.

Nandy responded that the BBC’s charter “sets a strict legal threshold that must be met before dismissal of a board member,” meaning she could not pursue their suggested course of action.

Despite the criticism of BBC Arabic Nandy defended the BBC World Service, calling it “a light on a hill in places of darkness, and there are many in this world at the moment.”

The latest crisis comes as the BBC prepares for its once-a-decade charter review, with the current charter due to expire at the end of 2027.

Nandy said the review process would begin imminently and would aim to ensure the BBC is “fiercely independent” and “genuinely accountable” to the public.

“In an era in which trust is fraying and truth is contested across our nation, it will ensure the BBC remains fiercely independent and is genuinely accountable to the public it serves,” she said.

Davie resigned as Director-General on Sunday following a scandal over the editing of a speech by former US president Donald Trump, which has led to the threat of a billion-dollar lawsuit.

The BBC has also faced longstanding criticism over its coverage of the war between Israel and Hamas, as well as its reporting on antisemitic incidents in the UK from communal organisations.

Nandy concluded by thanking both Davie and Turness for their service and pledged to ensure the BBC is “sustainably funded, commands the public’s trust and continues to drive growth, good jobs, skills and creativity across every region and nation of the UK.”