The BBC must learn from Starmer’s resolve on Antisemitism, writes Lord Walney

That proud heritage is precisely why its recent failures to confront antisemitism cannot be dismissed as mere editorial oversights.

At Glastonbury, it was not simply a technical lapse that led to Bob Vylan’s performance being broadcast live while the act shouted “Death to the IDF!”, attacked a “Zionist” record executive, and chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

It was a grave editorial misjudgement—one that reflects a deeper malaise damaging the integrity of the corporation.

By any measure, the decision by of senior editorial staff not to cut the live feed sooner was indefensible—especially when BBC staff had already been alerted to the risk of extreme content, given the surrounding controversy over broadcasting Kneecap while one of its members faced terror charges.

But the Glastonbury fiasco was not a one-off. It is part of a troubling pattern of tolerance for—or blindness to—antisemitism and anti-Israel bias. This includes repeated breaches by BBC Arabic, the uncritical amplification of Hamas misinformation that is later disproven, and a persistent double standard in how antisemitic narratives are treated compared with other forms of hate.

This is not about stifling free expression or shielding Israel from justified scrutiny over the Gaza conflict. It is about recognising and confronting entrenched bias—and the blind spots that allow conspiracy and dehumanisation to masquerade as activism. Can anyone seriously imagine the BBC hesitating to act if it found itself broadcasting a white supremacist diatribe?

Mr Davie should reflect on the way Sir Keir Starmer tackled Labour’s own crisis. Like the BBC now, Starmer inherited an institution in denial during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. And like Davie, he could be criticised for not speaking out sooner. But once he became leader, Starmer acted decisively: removing offenders, issuing sincere apologies, and—crucially—pursuing cultural change, not just procedural fixes.

The BBC now faces a similar reckoning. Its complaints systems and editorial oversight require urgent reform. But above all, it must demonstrate moral clarity about antisemitism—both in its overt forms and its more insidious expressions.

This requires visible leadership. The Director-General and senior editors must speak and act decisively, just as they have on racism and homophobia. There must be no hierarchy of prejudice.

The BBC remains a vital part of our national fabric—for now. But its moral authority, like Labour’s before it, has been shaken. To restore trust, it must meet this challenge with transparency, humility, and resolve.

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