I DON’T understand the BBC’s decision not to broadcast the Disaster Emergency Committee’s (DEC) appeal for Gaza. 

But I agree with Andy Burnham’s comments that broadcasters must be independent and free from political interference. Depending on its wording, I will support Richard Burden’s Early Day Motion (EDM) on the subject, but counter-intuitively, I hope that the EDM itself has no effect; if the BBC are to change their minds (and I hope they do) it must be because they are persuaded of the arguments, and not for any other reason. If they were seen to bow to pressure from MPs and other parts of the media, it would be a disaster for the Beeb’s reputation.

Similarly, if the BBC decide that their original decision should stand, then stand it must, whatever phone calls ministers may make to the chairman of the Board of Trustees or the Director General, or however many EDMs are laid in parliament on the subject.

The demonstration and occupation by the Stop The War Coalition at the BBC’s Glasgow headquarters actually makes it harder for objective editorial decisions to be made: do we really want to institute a new editorial system at the nation’s most prestigious broadcaster, whereby the loudest, most aggressive and persistent protesters always have their way?