THE BBC has edited Sunday’s episode of its flagship politics show with Laura Kuenssberg for viewers on iPlayer after a segment with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
People looking to catch up on the June 9 broadcast, which featured Farage as well as Tory Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride and SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, will instead see an updated version of the episode.
A notice on iPlayer makes clear that the “programme has been edited, since broadcast, for editorial compliance reasons” but does not expand on those reasons for the changes.
An update on the BBC’s corrections and clarifications page states that the episode of Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg was edited after broadcast specifically due to the segment which included Farage.
In the original broadcast, Farage was shown standing on Clacton Pier, in the Clacton constituency in which he is standing to become an MP.
However, on the iPlayer version, the background of the shots of Farage has been almost completely blurred out.
The BBC said: “An interview with Nigel Farage gave too much visual prominence to the constituency in which he is standing for election, in a way which is not in line with our editorial guidelines.
“We have made edits and visual adjustments to the iPlayer edition of the programme, including removing verbal references to the constituency.
“The interview did not discuss constituency issues and we have made no edits to Mr Farage’s words.
“The programme is aiming to interview the leaders of all the larger parties during the campaign.”
While the exact reasoning for the decision remains unclear, the BBC’s draft editorial guidelines for the General Election period suggest that due to the prominence of Clacton during Farage’s appearance, other candidates in Clacton should have been offered a chance to speak.
The draft guidance states: “Reports or debates about a specific electoral area should give due weight to candidates who have demonstrated substantial electoral support in that area …
“This means that if any candidate takes part in an item about a specific electoral area, then these other candidates should also be offered the opportunity to take part, or be given a similar opportunity across a series of reports.”
