BBC slammed over Nigel Farage row as former MP claims presenter 'broke Ofcom rules'
Nigel Farage erupted after being accused of "inflammatory language" on a BBC news show.
The BBC has been slammed by a former MP over comments made about Reform UK honorary president Nigel Farage by a journalist at the broadcaster.
Earlier this month, Mr Farage made a speech in Dover in which he quoted Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk who had warned about a “wave of aggressive young males that are coming into Poland, having crossed the Mediterranean”.
Following Mr Farage’s speech, BBC presenter Geeta Guru Murthy said he had used “inflammatory language”, a comment for which the BBC apologised. They explained that Guru-Murthy’s action hadn’t met “the BBC’s editorial standards on impartiality”.
In response to the incident, former MP Bill Rammell slammed the journalist and the BBC’s actions.
Speaking to GB News, Bill Rammell said: “I disagree with about 95 percent of what Nigel Farage says, but I think the BBC broke the Ofcom editorial guidelines by making that statement.”
Mr Rammell added that he welcomed the apology from the BBC and Guru-Murthy as well as their actions to try and “rectify the situation”.
Conservative MP Rees-Mogg said that he was “glad” Guru-Murty had apologised, but added: “She shouldn’t have thought it and said it.”
The BBC’s apology comes after Mr Farage warned that the Channel migrant crisis was a national emergency that could potentially expose the UK to threats in the future.
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In a statement, Mr Farage said: “There is a growing list of people who have come into Britain illegally [and] committed serious crimes in our country.
“What we cannot know is how many of these could be part of a future terrorist attack. The Channel crisis is an issue of national security that is of the utmost importance.”
Mr Farage also warned of the issue of not knowing where those who have come over in the boats have come from. He explained: “The large numbers of undocumented young males that are coming into our country are seen as a problem, given the daily bill for hotels is over £7m.
“Actually, it is far more serious than that. Many of these young men, who throw their smartphone and passports into the English Channel once they reach 12 miles from British shores, come from countries that are still fighting wars.”
Mr Farage later claimed: “Over 90 percent are men and we have little or no idea of whether some of these men indeed fought Isis in Syria.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for the BBC told Express.co.uk: "Geeta Guru-Murthy apologised on air at 12.19pm yesterday (May 28) on the BBC News channel.
"She said: "Now an apology. Earlier today we heard live from Nigel Farage, speaking at that election event we just saw. When we came away from his live speech, I used language to describe it which didn’t meet the BBC’s editorial standards on impartiality. I’d like to apologise to Mr Farage and viewers for this.""
