The BBC has been criticised by Conservatives for describing a political festival hosted by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and attended by Rishi Sunak as a “far-Right rally”. The Telegraph has more.
The broadcaster is facing a fresh impartiality row for “happily” using the phrase to characterise the summit while refusing to call Hamas terrorists.
The Prime Minister spoke at the four-day event on Saturday, hosted by his Italian counterpart and close ally Giorgia Meloni.
It was attended by a wide range of Right-wing politicians, as well as centrist and centre-Left figures such as Matteo Renzi, the former Italian Prime Minister, and Edi Rama, the Albanian leader.
Mr. Sunak used the platform to warn that hostile states will increasingly “drive people to our shores” to destabilise Western nations unless leaders crack down on illegal migration and revamp asylum conventions.
The BBC went on to describe the gathering as a “far-Right rally” during its coverage on Sunday.
The phrase appeared on screen, with the presenter adding: “Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has been talking to a far-Right political festival, which she actually started many years ago.”
The Tories said the editorial decision raised “serious questions” about the BBC’s policies, accusing it of “careless categorisation”.
A spokesman said: “The Beeb will happily brand democratically elected politicians like Meloni and (Javier) Milei (the newly elected president of Argentina) far Right at the drop of a hat, but they won’t call Hamas a terrorist organisation.
“BBC bosses should rethink their careless categorisation and stick to reporting the facts.”
The term also prompted a backlash from Tory backbenchers, who accused the BBC of disrespecting the Prime Minister and not knowing the difference between a “far-Right rally” and “a congress of democratic conservative parties”.
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