Independent mayoral candidate Rory Stewart in BBC row
The BBC has been accused of discriminating against Rory Stewart by shutting him out of its coverage in the lead-up to the May mayoral election.
BBC London did not include the independent mayor of London candidate in a special report yesterday about knife crime, despite featuring the other four main challengers.
City PM understands the broadcaster has decided to give air time to mayoral candidates based on recent election results, without taking any account of polling for the mayoral election.
A November poll by YouGov/Queen Mary University had Stewart in third place behind mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Tory mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey.
However, the BBC make their decisions for air time based on results of the two most recent major elections – the May EU elections and December General Election – neither of which involved Stewart.
That meant that Green candidate Sian Berry and Liberal Democrat Siobhan Benita were included because of the parties’ strong performances in the EU elections, despite being behind Stewart in mayoral polling.
A source close to the former Tory cabinet secretary said they believed this could continue throughout the campaign and that the broadcaster was intentionally discriminating against Stewart.
They said: “Rory was told it was just the four ‘main’ candidates.
“But given Rory is third in the latest polls – and closing in on second – they are using a strange definition of ‘main’.
“It appears to be an active decision to discriminate against an independent candidate.”
A spokesperson for the BBC denied that Stewart will be shut out of BBC coverage in the lead up to the 7 May poll.
“When candidates are invited onto programmes it is based on a variety of factors, including past electoral support,” they said.
“Mr Stewart has appeared recently on BBC London and will feature in our comprehensive coverage of the race to be mayor in the coming months, as will other candidates.”
Stewart is running for mayor of London as an independent, after a nine-year stint as a Conservative MP.
He stepped down at the last election, after the party whip was withdrawn when he sided with opposition parties to block any chance of a no-deal Brexit.