Ken Loach vs World at One
An interview with Ken Loach on Radio 4 on Monday showed the BBC at its worst – recycling long-discredited allegations against Ken and giving the Labour Party a platform to accuse him, without foundation, of making “completely false” statements.
JVL sets the record straight.
BBC, do your homework!
On Wednesday September 27, BBC Radio 4’s lunchtime news programme, the World at One, broadcast a pre-recorded interview with renowned film maker Ken Loach. It was to mark the release of his latest, and likely last, film The Old Oak, set in a depressed former mining town in the northeast of England.
Interviewer Sarah Montague began the package 32 minutes into the programme talking to Ken about the theme of the film – the struggles of a Syrian refugee family to settle into a community where some locals treat them as scapegoats for their own poverty and hopelessness.
After five minutes, conversation turned to the Labour Party and Ken’s distrust of the current leadership. He suggested the BBC should look more closely at the party’s flawed processes for dealing with disagreements, which have led to Jewish members being more likely to face expulsion than non-Jewish members.
Out of the blue Ms Montague confronted Ken with a quote from the Campaign Against Antisemitism accusing him of being “appalling in his antisemitism denial.” Ken responded robustly, challenging her to provide evidence or withdraw a slur he has been obliged to refute time and again. He suggested she should interview Jewish Labour Party members who had experience of what he was talking about.
It seems extraordinary that Ms Montague relied upon the CAA as the source to ambush Ken Loach with unevidenced allegations. How is it possible that the team preparing a major BBC news programme were not aware that the Campaign Against Antisemitism is currently subject to a regulatory compliance case by the Charity Commission, after complaints of political partisanship?
Ms Montague was shockingly dismissive of Ken’s reference to the mistreatment of Labour Jews, apparently ignorant of the BBC’s own story on this subject just 11 days before. It deals with a legal letter sent on August 22 on behalf of Jewish Voice for Labour to the Labour Party, setting out evidence for breaches of the Equality Act – the targeting of Jewish members who question an interpretation of antisemitism that encompasses criticism of Israel.
A JVL press release sent on September 8 to every political newsdesk included an appendix giving the statistics to which Ken was referring. The facts are actually more extraordinary even than Ken had remembered.
It gets worse. After WATO finished playing what Ms Montague admitted was a truncated version of her pre-recorded interview with Mr Loach, she read out a statement from the Labour Party that implied he was inventing figures about the numbers of Jews disciplined. Here is a transcription:
“The implication of deliberate targeting made by Mr Loach is completely false and not based on reality. Indeed it isn’t even clear from this quote on what statistically reliable basis Mr Loach is attempting to justify such a claim.”
As Ms Montague could not avoid noting, Labour’s response did not answer the question about numbers of Jews expelled. It appears she did not know that the Labour Party had been in possession of all the data provided by JVL since August 22. The BBC allowed the Labour Party to get away with making a disingenuous statement suggesting that the data referred to by Ken Loach was unknown to them. The programme effectively allowed them to contest on air legal arguments to which they have not yet formally responded.
WATO owes Ken Loach an apology for an insulting and abusive interview, and – as Ken said – it owes BBC audiences interviews with Jews who are intimately acquainted with the outrageous situation he was alluding to.
Well said! It is completely unacceptable to be quoting CAA without equally telling listeners of their background in having submitted volumes of false complaints of antisemitism, as well as their partisan Israeli support and funding sources. If they are to be quoted, their questionable character should be equally evident.
Dear Naomi
Thank you for setting the record straight. I was outraged by the interview. Out of the blue Sarah Montague attacked Ken Loach about Antisemitism and when he mentioned interviewing a Jewish person she virtually stopped the interview. Then we were told it was prerecorded and there was more heat than light so it was cut down. She really had it in for Loach
For God’s sake. Why is this great cultural figure being smeared by the Beeb who helped make him a household name in the seventies? The answer is obvious I suppose. How things have changed, for the worse. Politically aware British citizens need to stand up and organise. The Labour Party is over as a force for change.
I hope Loach will be cherished by generations to come
Your first line is the most important, and is a good soundbite we might use: “BBC, do your homework”.
Outrageous continuation of a coordinated establishment assault on left-leaning humanitarians, with the BBC at the vanguard
As a member of the Labour Party since 1974, I was woken from my afternoon snooze by my wife screaming profanities at the radio. I am aware of the increasing bias of the BBC against decent people who want a better and more fair society but this broke new bounds. One of our greatest film directors calmly tells the truth and is pilloried, censored and vilified. Just where are we going?
It was disgraceful. I used the BBC complaints process, for what it’s worth.
Make a formal request to be interviewed on the subject and ask Labour to put up a spokesman
Given that the BBC participated in the A/S black op smear campaign against Jeremy and the left, and did so for the purpose of subverting democracy, it’s just what one would expect from the BBC.
When the entire MSM acts in unison to dupe and deceive and mislead millions of people so as to undermine and subvert democracy, then we are living in a fascist state in all but name.
We also need to here the part of the interview the BBC deliberately withheld.
The BBC must apologise unequivocally to Ken Loach for their misrepresentations. The BBC is duty bound to investigate the Labour Party’s treatment of many JVL members. They must admit that they gave undue credibility to the criticisms made by CAA which is notorious for its central role in the fraudulent Antisemitism Conspiracy.
It’s apparent now that the BBC have anointed Starmer as our next PM, to tread water just as Blair did, until the Tories come back again. They know that Starmer will not introduce any policies which will upset the establishment, therefore to assist Starmer in obtaining a working majority, they go in hard against Socialists, particularly Jewish Socialists, and people such as Ken Loach who are respected but have no time for Starmer.
Sarah Montague’s outrageous smearing of a greatly venerated National Treasure, Ken Loach, has caused much offense and consternation to a great many people already mourning the lack of decency and integrity in another once greatly venerated National Treasure, the BBC, now beyond redemption. RIP BBC!
I heard this interview live – and started by being delighted that in spite of the way Loach has been traduced, the BBC was running a serious interview with him – and on its flagship daytime programme – about his latest film. Certainly the film discussion was fine. Given the film’s subject matter, it would even have been reasonable for Sarah Montagu to ask – as she then did – whether Loach had any greater hopes of Labour policies on refugees . Except it turned out she had a Campaign Against Antisemitism quote all ready in her back pocket to drop into the conversation. So it wasn’t an innocent request to make a Labour/Tory comparison re immigration policy – it was a way to set up Loach and do a cheap rerun of the antisemitism campaign against him. I thought his answer to her was perfect – you are just recycling other people’s allegations. where’s your evidence? It’s the question every under-prepared BBC interviewer should be asked.
However, what made me really angry was Montagu’s post-interview statement. She said the broadcast interview was part of a much longer piece which had been cut ‘as it involved a lot of heat and not much light’, which was as snide a BBC intervention as I have ever heard. I am sure it is routine to do long pre-recorded interviews, and then cut them – and I have never heard the person who conducted an interview make such a comment after it has been broadcast.
By the way, the discussion about Loach’s film on Front Row, Radio 4, tonight (Thursday) was impeccable – thoughtful, insightful, even said some new things, not a shred of BBC-style sneer – just three commentators who evidently think he is one of the grand old men of cinema, especially ‘political’ film-making, and totally deserves that status.
Shocking but not surprising, alas
Ken nailed McMontague`s repeat of the CAA lies and I was mighty proud of the way it shut her up. Kan asked her for “evidence” and she had none other than to repeat the CAA lie. Mighty proud of him and particularly how he highlighted the fact that anti-zionist Jews have been expelled since Starmer`s bandits took over. Ken knows his onions and made the BBC sound like it has been all along – at the forefront of leading the “Anti-Semitism Crisis” narrative – #it was a scam#
Well done Ken for not putting up with BBC lies.
As always, thank you JVL for picking this up. I heard the interview on World at One. It’s so frustrating and infuriating to hear this BBC and liberal media ignorance/dishonesty over and over again. Can you get hold of the whole interview? I’ve looked but can’t see how I could hear it. There must be so many journalists and Labour Party members who are ashamed of this disgusting dishonesty and persecution, and are wondering when they will be exposed as cowardly collaborators, which is one of the reasons that the cover-up is apparently so strong.
Ken Loach [along with Michael Rosen], are about as close as one could get to being *National Treasures* in their respective fields. The Labour Party’s [pro-Zionist] smearers are, conversely a *National Disgrace* in relation to Palestine and its occupation. The BBC, well, what can I say. The Tory Party at Prayer?
Thanks JVL for your seemingly endless task of setting the record straight.
The bbc’s bias against any left-wing figure is of course well known. I must say how much I admire Ken Loach’s resilience in the face of the barrage of lies to which he is routinely subjected.
I heard this interview. He was indeed hi-jacked, and then Ms Montague had the chutzpah to say that they had edited the interview for broadcast because the original, longer version contained ‘more heat than light’! It leaves you reeling with indignation.
I was apoplectic with rage on hearing this interview. The only saving grace, if you can call it that, was Ken standing his ground and calling her out. When is this going to stop? I was at a preview of his film a week ago and he had a standing ovation, quite rightly. One of our greatest film makers.
Her smug “mmm” was disgusting. Still reeling from it all. Solidarity to Ken and thanks to Naomi for the article.
It’s obvious to many that the BBC is just not up to the task of reporting in a balanced manner, as whenever I’m refuting AS allegations against Corbyn and what we think of as pre Starmer Labour, those taken in by the media seem surprised at my comments. When I add the facts of the cruel expulsions of mainly Jewish party members they tend to think I’m kidding. The reality of the cosying up of today’s Labour and the UK media with their convenient deceitful lies and truth distortion is lost on so many that we all have a heck of a job to do, spreading the real story, otherwise known as the truth!!!
The article written by JVL media officer is succinct and persuasive. I hope JVL will make a formal complaint to the BBC on this matter.
BBC has form on this. BBC is pro Zionist and effectively an arm of both the UK foreign office and USA state department.
The Pits for the BBC, its bias in favour of Israel knows no Bounds. Whenever it show a story on the News Programmes, where the IDF have killed or beaten Palestinian, they carefully use sentences that make it look like the Palestinians are the guilty party, ie, the Israeli police we’re searching a well known area where Palestinian terrorists are hiding. Always ignoring the fact that Israel is the Terrorist Organisation.
I’d ask everyone to complain to he BBC. I know they brush aside our complaints but if they receive enough they may think twice before pulling a stunt like this again.
Go get’em my lovely.Thanks to you and Ken and those like you the truth will out.
Much love
R.
✊????????????
Does this really come as a surprise?
“Sarah Anne Louise Montague, Lady Brooke (born 8 February 1966) [ is a British journalist and presenter of the BBC Radio 4 current affairs programme The World at One. For 18 years, prior to April 2018, she was a regular presenter of another radio programme, Today.
In April 2002 Montague married businessman Sir Richard Christopher Brooke at Chelsea Register Office. The couple had met while Brooke was setting up a hotel in Holkham, Norfolk. In 2012 her husband inherited the Brooke baronetcy, becoming the 12th baronet.
In 2014 they were guests at a party co-hosted by then-Prime Minister David Cameron, with whom Brooke had attended Eton College. “
(Wikipedia)
Pls put the time into programme Date and time of programme so i can complain
Hi Eamonn – re your post – There is a link near the top of the item under the photo – or think this is the address: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001qtfz
The interview begins some 32.05 in.
Naomi gives date and time at the beginning of her article.
I thought that it was quite encouraging that the Labour Party had finally denied the allegation of deliberate targeting of Jewish members instead of simply ignoring it as they usually do. This helps to make it an accepted subject for public debate, which can only be a good thing.
Is there any point in trying to craft a government petition to hold the BBC and Sarah Montague to account?
Ken Loach was magnificent. He handled this awful turn by Sarah Montague with equanimity.
Echoing a comment earlier – please complain to the BBC. We are indeed fighting this one hard but numbers make a difference.
Jenny
The establishment is running scared again as soon as someone shows another way to live is possible out come the attack dogs to destroy opposition to neo liberalism but remember there are many many more of US then THEM and OUR day will come
You can still hear the programme on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001qtfz
Go to about 36m 30s onward, listen, sharpen your keyboard and complain: https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints/make-a-complaint/#/Complaint
Goebbels’ ‘Tell a big lie and repeat it’ is now the M.O. of BBC ‘news’, for which, ironically, we [mostly!] pay, on pain of prison. Time to right this topsy-turvy world. Despite the measured tone of this comment, I’m all for stringing them up, inside…
Heartfelt thanks for this meticulous exposure. The BBC, not alternative media, are guilty of relentless misinformation. Your article must be shared widely and, certainly, Jewish Network for Palestine (of which I’m Chair) will do so…
I am beyond angry about the current Labour leadership position and behaviour!
I fully support JVL and those members so unjustly treated!
Sarah Montague is the weakest of all World at One presenters, ill briefed. This attack is shameful and he would do well to sue them for a public apology but in the current climate is unlikely to be worthwhile. I loathe the CAA because it is a conspiracy and it lies. The CAA and their influencers spread, unevidenced rumour , make things up and do not focus on extreme right antisemitism which in the UK is far more prolific.