Tim Davie should resign over BBC handling of anti-IDF chants at Glastonbury, former attorney general urges
A former attorney general has told LBC that Tim Davie - director-general of the BBC - should resign over the public service broadcaster's decision not to pull broadcasting of anti-IDF chants at Glastonbury.
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A criminal investigation is under way after the Bob Vylan's performance at Glastonbury Festival, Avon and Somerset Police has said.
During Bob Vylan's performance, rapper Bobby Vylan, 34, whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, chanted "death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)".
Speaking with LBC, Sir Michael Ellis, a former attorney general, said the BBC should have been more prepared for what happened at Glastonbury and questioned why no-one thought to use the cutoff button, adding: "There should literally have been someone with a finger hovering over that button, because it was entirely predictable that this could happen.
"So I think heads should roll at the BBC".
He went on to say the "ultimate person responsible" is BBC director-general Tim Davie and when asked if he should resign, Sir Michael said: "Yes, I do. And I think ultimately it's his responsibility at the very top of the organisation."
He added: "This is not the first time there have been complaints about the BBC's conduct in this sphere.
"And it's actually really damaging to the BBC's own international reputation that this carries on being repeated.
"But one of the things I'm most concerned about is not the BBC's reputation, it's about the Jewish community in this country. Because, frankly, the Jewish people of this country, a very small population, like 0.2% of the population of this country, I think feels more under threat than at any time since Oswald Mosley was walking the streets."
He said Glastonbury Festival organisers also have "major questions" to ask themselves including "why did they ignore Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch's warning?" and "why is it that this was allowed to happen?"
Bob Vylan has been dropped by United Talent Agency (UTA) after high-level talks over the weekend.
UTA declined to comment, but the band’s page has been removed from the agency’s website. According to the Jewish Chronicle, the band’s management have also parted company with them.
LBC also understands that venues due to host Bob Vylan are holding talks over whether to go ahead with gigs.The group is scheduled to perform at Paradiso in Amsterdam on 12 September, but LBC can reveal internal discussions are underway following the group's Glastonbury set.