Complaint
The programme included an interview with the co-leader of the Green Party Adrian Ramsay in which he was challenged over allegations of antisemitism among a number of his party’s election candidates.  A listener complained the examples put to Mr Ramsay were not antisemitic and promoted the idea that to criticise Israel was necessarily antisemitic.  The ECU considered whether the report met the standards of due accuracy and impartiality set out in the Editorial Guidelines.
Outcome
The interview referred to the fact the Green Party had suspended a number of candidates.  However the ECU noted the presenter did not assert as a fact that the cases were antisemitic – only that the party was “dealing with a row†about antisemitism.  Two specific cases were put to Mr Ramsay in terms which allowed him to respond and gave listeners information about the comments in question so they could form their own view on their contents. The remarks went beyond criticism of the government of the State of Israel so in the ECU’s view were unlikely to lead listeners to conclude that to criticise Israel was by definition antisemitic or that its government should not be held to account.
Not Upheld