BBC issues correction after challenging SNP minister with Labour activist's comments

THE BBC has issued a correction after it challenged an SNP minister with comments from a Labour activist who it presented as an independent expert.

On October 28, BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme interviewed Professor June Andrews about the cut to the Winter Fuel Payment.

The Labour Government had ended the universal payments after taking power in a bid to cut costs, leading charities such as Age Scotland to raise concerns that pensioners would bee plunged into poverty.

However, Andrews told the BBC that she supported the Winter Fuel Payment being cut.

She said: “Rather than complaining to your MP, get a case worker in their office to help you see where you can get more money if you're an older person.

“And those of us like myself, who are really lucky to already have an income, we have to say, ‘well, you know, we didn't deserve this, any more than any of the other rich people in the country deserve this money'.

“The money that we give in tax should be given to families and children and also pensioners who really, really need it, rather than something that's just sparkled around like fairy dust every winter.”

Andrews’ comments were then used by the BBC to challenge SNP minister Ivan McKee, without disclosing her Labour activism.

Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee (Image: PA) Appearing on the programme later, McKee was told: “We heard from an expert in care for older people, June Andrews, earlier, who says that actually, it's right that this is means-tested, that money shouldn't be wasted giving pensioners who don't require this money, but more effort needs to be put into making sure that pensioners who do actually claim the benefits that they're entitled to.”

Responding, McKee said that while you could point to rich pensioners who didn’t really need the Winter Fuel Payment, it is “important to recognise … there is a huge number of people” who do.

Now, the BBC has issued an update on its corrections and clarifications page saying that it should have made clear Andrews’ Labour connections.

Her social media feed in the days leading up to her Good Morning Scotland appearance saw her retweet Labour figures including Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, as well as Labour activists campaigning in a by-election.

In May, Andrews shared an image of herself campaigning for now-Labour MP Gregor Poynton. In August, she shared another of herself visiting him in London.

The BBC statement said: “In an interview about charity Age Scotland’s concern that more older people will be taken to hospital with hypothermia this year following cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment, the programme spoke with a guest as an expert in the care of older people.

“Our editorial guidelines state that: ‘We should not automatically assume that contributors from other organisations (such as academics, journalists, researchers and representatives of charities and think-tanks) are unbiased. Appropriate information about their affiliations, funding and particular viewpoints should be made available to the audience, when relevant to the context.’

“While the contributions from the guest were appropriate for the item, in hindsight, with the interview moving into areas of political decision-making, the programme should have found a way to convey to listeners more information on the guest’s party political standpoint.

“We have reminded our teams of the importance of this in preparing and conducting interviews.”