A Tory MP called for the BBC licence fee to be axed after a row over Glastonbury coverage. The national broadcaster was forced to issue a grovelling apology after not pulling the live stream of Bob Vylan’s performance on Saturday.
Frontman Bobby Vylan – of the rap punk duo – led crowds at the festival’s West Holts Stage in chants of “death, death to the IDF”. Conservative MP Matt Vickers described it as a “new low bar” for the Beeb, adding that “we probably need to put it out of its misery”.
Mr Vickers told Talk: “Every year Glastonbury gets worse and worse. Every so many months we have this debate about the BBC about what they are and aren’t broadcasting, how it lacks any form of political neutrality or independence.
“This has turned the dial again. We need to have a national debate again about the state of the BBC and we probably need to put it out of its misery.
“I think this has brought things to another new low bar for the BBC, it’s absolutely appalling.
“Somebody needs to be held to account, it’s all well and good issuing an apology but there needs to be action, we need to make sure that this cannot carry on.
“If it is going to carry on they can go and form some lefty channel somewhere, not at the cost of the taxpayer.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer led politicians who condemned the chants, while broadcasting regulator Ofcom said it is “very concerned” about the live stream.
The BBC said the “antisemitic sentiments” expressed by the group were “utterly unacceptable”.
In a statement, the BBC said: “Millions of people tuned in to enjoy Glastonbury this weekend across the BBC’s output but one performance within our livestreams included comments that were deeply offensive. The BBC respects freedom of expression but stands firmly against incitement to violence.
“The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves. We welcome Glastonbury’s condemnation of the performance.
“The performance was part of a live stream of the West Holts stage on BBC iPlayer.
“The judgment on Saturday to issue a warning on screen while streaming online was in line with our editorial guidelines.
“In addition, we took the decision not to make the performance available on demand. The team were dealing with a live situation, but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen.”
Avon and Somerset Police said at the weekend that they are assessing videos of comments made by Bob Vylan to decide whether any offences may have been committed.
Glastonbury Festival itself also criticised the chants, saying in a statement on Sunday they were “appalled by the statements” made on stage.
In a statement posted to Instagram, the rapper, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, said: “Teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place.
“As we grow older and our fire starts to possibly dim under the suffocation of adult life and all its responsibilities, it is incredibly important that we encourage and inspire future generations to pick up the torch that was passed to us.”
