BBC rehired Martin Bashir even after being told about Diana deceit

MPs slam the BBC for rehiring Martin Bashir despite knowing of his deceit, as former BBC head quits his gallery job.

Under-fire journalist Martin Bashir speaks at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles in 2007. Picture: Getty Images North America/AFP

Members of Britain’s parliament have criticised the BBC for rehiring Martin Bashir despite knowing of his deceit in obtaining an interview with Diana, Princess of Wales.

Bashir rejoined the BBC in 2016, before a year later being made religion editor after a review led by Lord Hall of Birkenhead, then director-general, who knew he had used fake bank statements to secure the Panorama interview.

Lord Dyson, a former Master of the Rolls who was asked by the BBC to investigate the 1995 interview, reported on Thursday that there had been a cover-up of his wrongdoing.

Julian Knight, chairman of the Commons digital, culture, media and sport committee, said on Friday that he was writing to the present director-general, Tim Davie, to find out why Bashir was allowed to rejoin the BBC.

“In the wake of the Dyson report there are serious questions still left to answer. Namely, why was Martin Bashir rehired, with the BBC knowing what they knew? I am writing to the BBC’s director-general, Tim Davie, for urgent answers,” he said.

“I want to know how the BBC can reassure the committee that there could be no repeat of the serious failings that have been highlighted by the Dyson report. Now more than ever the BBC must show transparency and honesty in its response.”

Princess Diana during her 1995 interview with Martin Bashir, now known to have been obtained by deception. Picture: BBC

A former BBC chief who was criticised for his “woefully ineffective” probe into Bashir’s deception on Saturday resigned as chair of Britain’s National Gallery, AFP reported.

Tony Hall, who had led an earlier investigation into the interview and was later named head of the BBC, said he had “today resigned as Chair of the National Gallery’’.

He said in a statement released by the world-renowned London gallery: “As I said two days ago, I am very sorry for the events of 25 years ago and I believe leadership means taking responsibility.

“I have always had a strong sense of public service and it is clear my continuing in the role would be a distraction to an institution I care deeply about.”

Diana’s son Prince William has said the interview had made “a major contribution” to the demise of his parents’ relationship, while the BBC’s “woeful incompetence” in uncovering the truth had “contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia and isolation” in her final years.

Diana’s sons, Prince Williams and Prince Harry.

Diana died in a high-speed car crash while being chased by paparazzi photographers in 1997. Hall took charge of the BBC in 2013, and stepped down last year.

Bashir, now 58, left the BBC to join ITV’s Tonight with Trevor McDonald investigative program.

In 2000 a senior BBC executive wrote to ITV complaining that Bashir was telling damaging lies about the corporation’s journalists to secure exclusive interviews with families of victims of the serial killer GP Harold Shipman.

Bashir moved to the US and in 2003 conducted a series of interviews over eight months with Michael Jackson for the controversial ITV documentary Living With Michael Jackson. He then co-anchored the current affairs show Nightline on ABC before moving to MSNBC, where he served as a political commentator.

He was criticised for joking about “Asian babes” during a speech at a conference for the Asian American Journalists Association. He resigned from MSNBC in 2013 after making “ill-judged” comments about the former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

A senior BBC source said on Friday that Bashir’s recruitment in 2016 was led by James Harding, the director of news, and Jonathan Munro, the head of newsgathering.

Munro had hailed the appointment saying: “Martin’s track record in enterprising journalism is well known and respected in the industry and among our audiences.” The source said that Harding, a former editor of The Times, “was absolutely determined to get Bashir, which we thought odd because of the previous controversy.

“James might not have known the truth about the Diana interview but Tony Hall did. Tony must have okayed such a significant appointment.”

A year after Bashir’s appointment Lord Hall led a faith and ethics review, which resulted in Bashir being promoted to religion editor.

Harding told the BBC on Friday that if he had known that Bashir had forged bank statements “he wouldn’t have got the job”. He did not confirm whether Hall was aware of the appointment but said that he took responsibility for the hiring.

“I can’t help feeling that the fact he was hired back in 2016 has made things more difficult for everyone so I am sorry he was,” he said.

“The way I look at this and the way I think about it is that I was running BBC News when Martin Bashir was hired back into BBC News and so the responsibility for that sits with me.

“Lord Dyson’s report, as I understand and as I read, has clearly spoken to Lord Hall at some length. In terms of rehiring, the rehiring was done by BBC News. I ran BBC News, the responsibility for it sits with me.”

Princess Diana during her 1995 interview with Martin Bashir. Picture: BBC

Damian Collins, a Conservative MP and former chairman of the Commons media select committee, told the BBC: “It seems astonishing that he worked for the BBC for so long and came back and very conveniently has gone just before this report came

“The fact that he continued to work for the BBC so recently and was re-employed, given what the BBC knew, I find astonishing.”

Munro, who remains as head of news gathering, announced Bashir’s resignation last week saying that the presenter had made the decision in April before being readmitted to hospital for heart surgery.

The BBC on Friday denied that Bashir was still on the payroll or that he had received a financial settlement.

Diana’s brother Earl Spencer.

The former head of security for Diana’s brother said on Friday that he was considering legal action against the BBC and Bashir after he was “used as leverage” to gain the trust of Earl Spencer.

Alan Waller told The Daily Telegraph that he wanted the police to open an investigation on the grounds he was the victim of a possible fraud.

Bashir had persuaded Earl Spencer to introduce him to Diana by showing him fake bank statements, which appeared to show that Waller had received payments from newspapers and the security services.

Lord Dyson concluded that the bank statements had breached BBC editorial guidelines and were central to Bashir’s “deceitful behaviour”.

“By showing Earl Spencer the fake Waller … statements and informing him of their contents, Mr Bashir deceived and induced him to arrange a meeting with Princess Diana.

“By gaining access to Princess Diana in this way, Mr Bashir was able to persuade her to agree to give the interview.”

The Times

With AFP