BBC fell short of "high standards of integrity & transparency" over M. Bashir's 1995 Diana interview

[MenInG]

BBC fell short of "high standards of integrity & transparency" over M. Bashir's 1995 Diana interview

The BBC has pledged to hold a full independent investigation into how Martin Bashir obtained his career-defining interview with Princess Diana in 1995, following fresh claims that he produced fake documents and used other deceitful tactics to win the trust of her family.

Tim Davie, the corporation’s director general, confirmed that the terms of the investigation would be announced in the coming days: “The BBC is taking this very seriously and we want to get to the truth. We are in the process of commissioning a robust and independent investigation.”

The BBC has said Bashir is currently unable to answer questions as he is currently signed off work by his doctors. It said the journalist, currently employed as the BBC’s religion editor, is recovering from quadruple heart bypass surgery in addition to having “significant complications” after contracting Covid-19 earlier in the year.

Princess Diana, her brother and the questions about the Martin Bashir interview that won't go away
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The announcement follows weeks of campaigning by Diana’s brother Earl Spencer, who claims Bashir repeatedly deceived him in order to gain access to the royal as her marriage to Prince Charles collapsed. The subsequent interview made headlines around the world and turbo-charged Bashir’s career, as he won praise for a major journalistic scoop.

The BBC’s announcement comes as ITV prepares to air an interview with Matt Wiessler, a graphic designer who was asked by Bashir to mock-up the fake bank statements that allegedly helped the journalist secure his career-defining interview.

The false documents gave the impression that associates of the royal family were selling stories to newspapers, with Spencer saying this and other deceptions were the reason he introduced Bashir – then a relatively obscure Panorama journalist – to his sister.

The issue was investigated at the time, with the BBC’s former news chief Tony Hall clearing Bashir of wrongdoing in 1996, while telling the corporation’s board that the graphic designer who followed Bashir’s orders “will not work for the BBC again”.

Wiessler subsequently left the media and now works for bicycle design company in Devon. At the same time Bashir went on to have a successful journalistic career around the world, while Hall returned to the BBC as director general.

The graphic designer told the ITV documentary The Diana Interview: Revenge Of A Princess that he had been made to be the “fall guy” for Bashir’s actions: “I’m this guy that’s remembered for forging the document and I want to clear my name. I got a phone call from Martin Bashir and he wanted me to do a favour for him and it was really urgent and really important.

“Martin asked me to make up a couple of bank statements about people being paid to do surveillance that he needed the following day. And he did say that they were just going to be used as copies … I had never been briefed in that way before.”

Wiessler said he later became concerned about what he had been asked to do. This got worse when he came home to find his flat had been burgled, but only two computer discs had been taken: “I was absolutely freaked out … I searched through my computer files in the office and I couldn’t find any of the backups that I had made of the statements, that I had created for Martin.”

He added: “I became quite paranoid, because I thought there must be more to this statement story, than I can ever dream of. Because, why would this happen? Why would someone break in? And I wasn’t getting any clear answers from anyone. I’d never had a break-in before in my life. And I just thought someone was sending me a message or something.”

Wiessler also recalled meeting Bashir when the story of the faked bank statements was first reported 25 years: “… all he could think of doing, was saying to me, ‘Whatever you do, don’t go to the media. Carry on talking to us. We’re not doing anything… We didn’t do anything wrong. You’ve to trust us on this.’ I walked out of that restaurant, knowing that I had to go to the media. Because Martin was just simply in this instance, covering for himself.”

He said the incident had shaken his trust in the corporation: “In almost a naive way, I thought when you worked for the BBC, you were working for the greater good of everything. After this episode, almost all of that fell away, and I thought what it is really about is senior management and senior producers and presenters protecting themselves at all costs.

“I quite clearly felt that I was the one that was going to be the fall guy in this story. All I want is for the BBC in this instance to come forward and honestly make an apology. Because it’s had a huge impact.”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...to-how-martin-bashir-obtained-diana-interview

 

[MenInG]

A graphic designer who created counterfeit bank statements which are alleged to have been used to persuade Princess Diana to take part in her 1995 tell-all TV interview is demanding an apology from the BBC.

Matt Wiessler says he mocked up two documents at the request of Martin Bashir, the journalist who conducted the landmark Panorama interview with the Princess of Wales.

The late princess' younger sibling, Earl Spencer, is now demanding an independent inquiry into the interview, as well as a posthumous apology to his sister and a donation to charities set up in her memory.

Speaking for the first time on TV for new ITV documentary The Diana Interview: Revenge Of A Princess, Mr Wiessler says he's been made a scapegoat by the BBC.

He told the programme: "I've agreed to talk to you because I'm this guy that's remembered for forging the document and I want to clear my name."

He says the documents he was asked to create allegedly falsely showed that people were being paid for surveillance on the princess.

Mr Wiessler, 58, went on: "I quite clearly felt that I was the one that was going to be the fall guy in this story.

"All I want is for the BBC in this instance to come forward and honestly make an apology. Because it's had a huge impact."

He said he was "blacklisted", resulting in his work drying up. He has since left the industry and now works for a bike design company in Devon.

At the time, revelations including Diana describing Camilla Parker Bowles as the "third person" in her marriage and her own infidelity with army captain James Hewitt sent shockwaves through the monarchy.

Responding to the earl's call for an enquiry, director general of the BBC Tim Davie said in a statement: "The BBC is taking this very seriously and we want to get to the truth. We are in the process of commissioning a robust and independent investigation."

A 1996 BBC enquiry cleared Bashir of any wrongdoing.

The earl has called the earlier inquiry a "whitewash" and says he has chosen now to speak out as new information has led him to understand that the BBC was aware of the situation.

He has told his 18.3k Twitter followers: "Many people are, quite understandably, asking why I've waited till now to come forward with the truth about how the BBC Panorama with my sister came about. While I knew that Martin Bashir used fake bank statements and other dishonesty to get my sister to do the interview.

"What I only found out two weeks ago, thanks to journalist Andy Webb's persistent use of the Freedom of Information Act, is that the BBC also knew. Not only knew about it, but that they covered it up."

The BBC journalist made his name with his 1995 Princess Diana interview, and he's grilled Michael Jackson and appeared on Celebrity X Factor too.

Earlier in the week, he shared a childhood photo of him and Diana as children.

The earl says the counterfeit documents related to alleged payments made to two members of the royal household by the security services for information about the princess. He says he would never have put his sister in contact with Bashir had he not seen the statements.

In the ITV documentary, Mr Wiessler describes the 1995 phone call in which he says Bashir asked him to urgently create the documents.

https://news.sky.com/story/princess...esigner-demands-apology-from-the-bbc-12128508

 

[MenInG]

The BBC says it has recovered a note written by Diana confirming false bank statements had no role in her decision to participate in her 1995 Panorama interview.

Her brother Charles Spencer alleges journalist Martin Bashir used the fake documents to persuade the Princess of Wales that two of her senior courtiers were selling information about her - and therefore her best course of redress was to speak out in an interview with him.

https://news.sky.com/story/bbc-says...dianas-note-about-panorama-interview-12131969

 

[MenInG]

LONDON (AP) — The BBC’s board of directors has approved the appointment of a retired senior judge to lead an independent investigation into the circumstances around a controversial 1995 TV interview with Princess Diana, the broadcaster said Wednesday.

The announcement came after Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, made renewed claims this month that BBC journalist Martin Bashir used forged statements and false claims to convince the late royal to agree to the interview.

The investigation will consider if the steps taken by the BBC and Bashir were appropriate and to what extent those actions influenced Diana’s decision to give an interview.

John Dyson, a former Supreme Court judge, is “an eminent and highly respected figure who will lead a thorough process,” the BBC said.

Charles Spencer alleged that in the weeks leading to the interview 25 years ago, Bashir made false and defamatory claims about senior royals in order to gain his trust and access to his sister.

The claims included that Diana’s phone was bugged and that her bodyguard was plotting against her. He claimed that Bashir showed him “false bank statements” purporting to show that two senior royal aides were being paid to keep Diana under surveillance.

Charles Spencer has demanded an inquiry and an apology. The BBC carried out an internal investigation when the complaints first surfaced and has said Bashir admitted commissioning mocked-up documents. But the corporation has said that the documents played no part in Diana’s decision to take part in the interview.

The broadcaster’s director general, Tim Davie, said the BBC “is determined to get to the truth about these events.”

The 1995 interview, in which Diana famously said “there were three of us in this marriage” — referring to Prince Charles’ relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles — was watched by millions of people and sent shockwaves through the monarchy.

Diana divorced from Charles in 1996 and died in a Paris car crash in 1997 as she was pursued by paparazzi. Charles married Camilla, now the Duchess of Cornwall, in 2005.

The BBC said Bashir, 57, who is currently its religion editor, is signed off work by his doctors because he is recovering from heart surgery and complications related to contracting COVID-19 earlier this year.

https://apnews.com/article/john-dyson-probe-1995-diana-interview-d64b8e62458a5d89be75f6c2f6de7f22

 

[The Viper]

Prince William 'tentatively welcomes' new inquiry into BBC's Diana interview

The Duke of Cambridge says a new investigation into how the BBC secured an interview with his mother in 1995 is "a step in the right direction".

The BBC has promised to "get to the truth" about the events surrounding the Panorama interview with Princess Diana.

Diana's brother has alleged the BBC's Martin Bashir used forged bank statements to convince her to do it.

Kensington Palace said in a statement that Prince William "tentatively welcomed the investigation".

The prince, whose mother died in 1997, added: "The independent investigation is a step in the right direction.

"It should help establish the truth behind the actions that led to the Panorama interview and subsequent decisions taken by those in the BBC at the time."

On Wednesday, the BBC announced that Lord Dyson, one of the country's most senior retired judges and a former Supreme Court judge, had been appointed to lead the inquiry.

The BBC's director general, Tim Davie, said: "The BBC is determined to get to the truth about these events and that is why we have commissioned an independent investigation.

"Lord Dyson is an eminent and highly respected figure who will lead a thorough process."

Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, called for an independent inquiry earlier this month, saying "sheer dishonesty" was used to secure the interview with the princess.

In a letter to Mr Davie, reported by the Daily Mail, the earl said Bashir had used forged bank statements - which wrongly purported to show that two senior courtiers were being paid by the security services for information on his sister.

Earl Spencer wrote: "If it were not for me seeing these statements, I would not have introduced Bashir to my sister."

In another Daily Mail interview, he also alleged that the then Panorama reporter made a number of false and defamatory claims about senior royals during a meeting with him, in order to gain his trust and access to his sister.

These claims included that Diana's private correspondence was being opened, her car tracked and phones tapped - described by the Mail as "preposterous lies".

Bashir, 57, currently BBC News religion editor, is recovering from heart surgery and complications from Covid-19 and has been unable to comment on Earl Spencer's allegations.

What will the investigation look at?

1. What steps did the BBC and, in particular, Martin Bashir take with a view to obtaining the Panorama interview in 1995? This will include looking at the mocked up bank statements, alleged payments to members of the royal household, and other issues raised by Earl Spencer.

2. Were those steps appropriate, particularly in regard to the BBC's editorial standards at the time?

3. To what extent did the actions of the BBC and, in particular, Martin Bashir influence Diana's decision to give an interview?

4. What knowledge did the BBC have in 1995 and 1996 of the relevant evidence, such as the forged bank statements?

5. How effectively did the BBC investigate the circumstances leading to the interview?

These terms of reference for the investigation were set by Lord Dyson and agreed by the BBC.

2px presentational grey line
The BBC said the investigation would start straight away and it was handing over "all of its relevant records".

Last week, the broadcaster revealed that a previously missing note from Diana, thought to indicate she was happy with the way her interview by BBC Panorama was obtained , had been found and would be handed over to the investigation.

Leading the inquiry will be Lord Dyson, who was Master of the Rolls - the second most senior judge in England and Wales - for four years until he retired in October 2016.

His other influential positions have included being a Justice of the UK's Supreme Court - the highest court in the country - and a Lord Justice of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales.

Almost 23 million people tuned in to watch the Panorama programme 25 years ago.

In it, the princess famously said "there were three of us in this marriage", referring to the Prince of Wales's relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles.

At the time, Princess Diana was separated from Prince Charles but not yet divorced. She died on 31 August 1997, aged 36, in a car crash in Paris.

https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/uk-54996143?__twitter_impression=true

 

[MenInG]

Parts of the press are using an investigation into Princess Diana's Panorama interview in an effort to "drive a wedge" between her sons, a source close to Prince Harry has told Sky News.

They have also hit back at claims the Duke of Sussex is failing to protect his mother's legacy.

It follows an unexpected statement from Prince William earlier this week, tentatively welcoming the BBC's decision to launch an independent investigation into how it secured the interview with his late mother in 1995.

The Duke of Cambridge said it was a "step in the right direction" and something that "should help establish the truth" about the "actions that led to the interview", and decisions taken by the BBC at the time.

Subsequent newspaper articles, however, have questioned why Prince Harry did not issue a joint statement with his brother. It is understood he has decided not to follow William by releasing comments of his own.

Some stories on Friday accused him of failing to support his brother and failing to protect his mother's legacy, suggestions that were described as horrid and offensive.

Since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to step away from royal duties and move to America, there has been a huge amount of speculation about the relationship between Harry and William, and whether they have fallen out.

But a source close to him told Sky News: "Harry is getting regular updates and is aware of everything that is happening."

They added: "You do not need a public statement to imagine how he is feeling privately. People know how much his mother means to him.

"He has spoken out bravely in the past about loss and grief, and the immense impact it has had on him.

"Sadly, some people are not just seeing this as a drive for truth, but also trying to use this as an opportunity to try to drive a wedge between the brothers."

In another development, Princess Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, has criticised the remit set out for the investigation into how the BBC and interviewer Martin Bashir secured the interview with his sister.

In a tweet, the Earl said: "As I've told the BBC this evening, I'm not at all satisfied with the parameters they've set around their enquiry into the Panorama interview with Diana of 25 years ago. Lord Dyson must be free to examine every aspect of this matter, from 1995 to today, as he sees fit."

In recent weeks Earl Spencer has led calls for a new inquiry into how fake documents were used by programme-makers to potentially trick his sister into doing the interview, because of fears they were being spied on and could not trust those around them.

Earl Spencer has released documents that he says were forged and used to encourage him, and in turn his sister, to talk to Bashir.

He has described the corporation's investigation in 1996, into whether fake bank statements were used to help land the historic Panorama interview, as a "whitewash".

The BBC recently said it had recovered a note written by Diana confirming false bank statements had no role in her decision to participate.

https://news.sky.com/story/prince-h...ver-dianas-panorama-interview-source-12137616

 

[Firebat]

Prince Harry welcomes Princess Diana interview inquiry

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s Prince Harry has joined his brother William in welcoming a new investigation into how the BBC secured a famous and controversial 1995 interview with their mother Princess Diana, with a source describing it as a “drive for truth”.

A former Supreme Court justice is leading a new inquiry into how the broadcaster obtained the interview and whether executives covered up any wrongdoing after accusations that the late princess was tricked into taking part.

Prince William, the second in line to the throne, said earlier this week that the investigation was a step in the right direction and a source close to Harry said on Saturday that the prince was getting regular updates.

The person familiar with the situation also questioned some British media reports which asked why Harry, living in California with his wife Meghan and son Archie, had not joined his brother in welcoming the investigation earlier.

“Sadly, some people are not just seeing this as a drive for truth, but also trying to use this as an opportunity to try to drive a wedge between the brothers,” the person said.

Diana’s Panorama interview with Martin Bashir was watched by more than 20 million viewers in Britain and became one of the defining moments of her failed marriage to Prince Charles.

It included an admission of an affair and the line that there “were three of us in this marriage”, referring to Charles’ relationship with his now second wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles.

This month, Diana’s brother Charles Spencer said the BBC had failed to apologise for what he said were forged documents and “other deceit” which led him to introduce Diana to Bashir.

The BBC has said the broadcaster is determined to get to the truth about Spencer’s assertions and has appointed John Dyson, one of the country’s most senior retired judges, to lead the inquiry.

Bashir has made no public comment on the situation and the corporation says the journalist, who gained global renown from the interview, is currently on sick leave, recovering from heart surgery and from contracting COVID-19.

Harry and Meghan moved to California after stepping back from royal duties in January and have signed a multi-year production deal with Netflix as part of their plans to be more financially independent.

The source added that the couple had decided to share their property in England, Frogmore Cottage, with his cousin Eugenie but would stay there when they visit the UK.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...ss-diana-interview-inquiry-idUSKBN2810FW?il=0

 

[MenInG]

The BBC fell short of "high standards of integrity and transparency" over Martin Bashir's 1995 interview with Princess Diana, an inquiry has found.

Bashir acted in a "deceitful" way and faked documents to obtain the interview, the inquiry said.

And the BBC's own internal probe in 1996 into what happened was "woefully ineffective", it added.

The BBC and Bashir have both apologised, and the BBC has personally written to Princes William and Harry.

The corporation said the report showed "clear failings", admitting it should have made more effort to get to the bottom of what happened at the time.

As well as Diana's sons, the BBC has also written personal apologies to Prince Charles and Diana's brother Earl Spencer. It is also returning all awards the interview received, including a TV Bafta won in 1996.

Bashir said mocking up the documents "was a stupid thing to do" and he regretted it, but said they had no bearing on Diana's decision to be interviewed.

Lord Dyson - the retired judge who led the inquiry - found:

Bashir seriously breached BBC rules by mocking up fake bank statements to gain access to the princess
He showed the fake documents to Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, to gain his trust so he would introduce Bashir to Diana
By gaining access to Diana in this way, Bashir was able to persuade her to agree to give the interview
When the BBC carried out its own investigation into the tactics used to get the interview in 1996 - led by future BBC director general Lord Hall - it "fell short of the high standards of integrity and transparency which are its hallmark"
A 1995 letter from Princess Diana - published as evidence - said she had "no regrets" concerning the matter
Princess Diana's interview with Bashir for Panorama was a huge scoop for the BBC - in it, the princess famously said: "There were three of us in this marriage."

It was the first time a serving royal had spoken so openly about life in the Royal Family - viewers saw her speak about her unhappy marriage to Prince Charles, their affairs, and her bulimia.

But since then, Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, has questioned the tactics used by journalist Bashir to get the interview.

The independent inquiry was commissioned by the BBC last year, after Earl Spencer went public with the allegations. Its findings were published on Thursday.

Lord Dyson found that Bashir deceived Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, by showing him forged bank statements that falsely suggested individuals were being paid for keeping the princess under surveillance.

The inquiry said Bashir had later lied when he told BBC managers he had not shown the fake documents to anyone.

And it described significant parts of Bashir's account of the events of 1995 as "incredible, unreliable, and in some cases dishonest".

In a statement, Bashir apologised for mocking up the documents, but said he remained "immensely proud" of the interview.

He said: "The bank statements had no bearing whatsoever on the personal choice by Princess Diana to take part in the interview.

"Evidence handed to the inquiry in her own handwriting [and published alongside the report today] unequivocally confirms this, and other compelling evidence presented to Lord Dyson reinforces it."

The investigation has also published, for the first time, the note written by the princess in December 1995 - after the interview was broadcast - in which she said she had no regrets.

Lord Dyson said the note had been found in November 2020 and given to BBC officials.

The note reads: "Martin Bashir did not show me any documents, nor give me any information that I was not previously aware of."

As well as Bashir, the report also criticises the BBC over how it handled the claims about Bashir's tactics.

In 1996, the BBC carried out its own internal investigation, which cleared Bashir, Panorama and BBC News of wrongdoing.

Lord Dyson said that investigation - led by then-director of news Lord Hall - was "woefully ineffective".

And as media pressure increased, the BBC gave "evasive" answers to journalists' questions, he said.

The report found when the BBC was asked about the bank statements by journalists in March 1996, senior BBC officials - including Lord Hall - already knew Bashir had lied three times about not having shown them to Earl Spencer.

But the BBC press office told journalists that Bashir was "an honest and honourable man".

"For the reasons that I have given, I am satisfied that the BBC covered up in its press logs such facts as it had been able to establish about how Bashir secured the interview," said Lord Dyson.

He said the BBC "fell short of the high standards of integrity and transparency which are its hallmark".

BBC

 

[MenInG]

The Duke of Cambridge has blamed BBC failings over its interview with his mother for fuelling her paranoia and worsening his parents' relationship.

After an inquiry found the BBC fell below its standards, Prince William said he was "most saddened" Diana never learned she had been deceived.

He said his mother was failed "not just by a rogue reporter" but also by BBC bosses.

The Duke of Sussex blamed a toxic media culture for his mother's death.

In his separate statement, Prince Harry said that the "ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices" ultimately took his mother's life.

He expressed concern such practices "are still widespread today", adding that it was "bigger than one outlet, one network or one publication".

"Our mother lost her life because of this, and nothing has changed. By protecting her legacy, we protect everyone, and uphold the dignity with which she lived her life," he said.

The BBC has written to apologise to Princes William and Harry, as well as the Prince of Wales and Diana's brother Earl Spencer.

Bbc

 

[Robert]

Prince William is spitting fire over this.

It’s good to see, and it makes his brother’s recent actions all the more understandable. Prince Harry won’t let Duchess Meghan be hounded to her death too.

 

[MenInG]

Prince William is spitting fire over this.

It’s good to see, and it makes his brother’s recent actions all the more understandable. Prince Harry won’t let Duchess Meghan be hounded to her death too.

I understand his anger but did Diana lie about her relationship with her husband in the interview?

 

[MenInG]

Statement from the Duke of Cambridge

I would like to thank Lord Dyson and his team for the report.

It is welcome that the BBC accepts Lord Dyson’s findings in full – which are extremely concerning – that BBC employees:

Lied and used fake documents to obtain the interview with my mother.
Made lurid and false claims about the royal family which played on her fears and fuelled paranoia.
Displayed woeful incompetence when investigating complaints and concerns about the programme.
Were evasive in their reporting to the media and covered up what they knew from their internal investigation.
It is my view that the deceitful way the interview was obtained substantially influenced what my mother said. The interview was a major contribution to making my parents’ relationship worse and has since hurt countless others.

It brings indescribable sadness to know that the BBC’s failures contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia and isolation that I remember from those final years with her.

But what saddens me most, is that if the BBC had properly investigated the complaints and concerns first raised in 1995, my mother would have known that she had been deceived. She was failed not just by a rogue reporter, but by leaders at the BBC who looked the other way rather than asking the tough questions.

It is my firm view that this Panorama programme holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again. It effectively established a false narrative which, for over a quarter of a century, has been commercialised by the BBC and others.

This settled narrative now needs to be addressed by the BBC and anyone else who has written or intends to write about these events.

In an era of fake news, public service broadcasting and a free press have never been more important. These failings, identified by investigative journalists, not only let my mother down, and my family down; they let the public down too.

==

Statement from the Duke of Sussex

Our mother was an incredible woman who dedicated her life to service. She was resilient, brave, and unquestionably honest.

The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life.

To those who have taken some form of accountability, thank you for owning it. That is the first step towards justice and truth. Yet what deeply concerns me is that practices like these – and even worse – are still widespread today. Then, and now, it’s bigger than one outlet, one network, or one publication.

Our mother lost her life because of this, and nothing has changed. By protecting her legacy, we protect everyone, and uphold the dignity with which she lived her life. Let’s remember who she was and what she stood for.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...-and-harry-statements-in-full-on-dyson-report

 

[MenInG]

The Met Police says it will assess the contents of the inquiry into the BBC's Martin Bashir interview with Princess Diana to ensure there is no "significant new evidence" to support a criminal investigation.

In March this year, the force said it was "not appropriate" to launch a criminal investigation into "unlawful activity" in connection with Mr Bashir's 1995 interview with Diana.

But they said: "Should any significant new evidence emerge it would be assessed".

On Friday, the Met said in a statement: "Following the publication of Lord Dyson's report we will assess its contents to ensure there is no significant new evidence."

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told Sky News the report "raises some very serious questions" and "issues around governance" within the BBC.

He said: "I think an apology is a start, but I don't think it's the end of it."

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden last night said the report "reveals damning failings at the heart of the BBC" and he will "consider whether further governance reforms are needed".

Panorama interview with their mother, with the Duke of Cambridge saying it "contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia and isolation".

Mr Bashir had faked bank statements, which was a "serious breach" of BBC guidelines on straight-dealing, as he showed them to Diana's brother Earl Spencer to gain access to her, the inquiry by Lord Dyson concluded.

He has since stepped down as the BBC's religion editor due to ongoing health issues.

Despite his ill health, he and the BBC have apologised over the report's findings, with Mr Bashir describing his decision to fake the bank statements as a "stupid thing to do" and "an action I deeply regret".

But he claimed it had "no bearing whatsoever on the personal choice by Princess Diana to take part in the interview".

The Panorama programme, which aired in November 1995, was watched by 23 million people.

Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris at the age of 36 the following year.

In a video statement responding to the Dyson report, Prince William said the interview had "effectively established a false narrative which, for over a quarter of a century, has been commercialised by the BBC and others".

He called for it never to be broadcast again, adding: "This settled narrative now needs to be addressed by the BBC and anyone else who has written or intends to write about these events."

Prince Harry said in his response: "Our mother lost her life because of this, and nothing has changed."

Former BBC director-general Lord Hall, who was director of news at the time, said Mr Bashir and his team's actions "fell short of what was required".

The corporation's current director general Tim Davie said: "While today's BBC has significantly better processes and procedures, those that existed at the time should have prevented the interview being secured in this way.

"The BBC should have made greater effort to get to the bottom of what happened at the time and been more transparent about what it knew.

"While the BBC cannot turn back the clock after a quarter of a century, we can make a full and unconditional apology. The BBC offers that today."

SKY

 

[MenInG]

Boris Johnson said he was "obviously very concerned" about the findings of the inquiry into the BBC's Martin Bashir interview with Princess Diana.

The prime minister also said he hoped the national broadcaster "will be taking every possible step to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again".

He made his comments as Scotland Yard said it would assess the contents of the investigation by Lord Dyson to ensure there is no "significant new evidence" to support a criminal investigation.

In March this year, the force said it was "not appropriate" to launch a criminal investigation into "unlawful activity" in connection with Mr Bashir's 1995 interview with Diana.

Speaking during a visit to Portsmouth, the Prime Minister said: "I'm obviously concerned by the findings of Lord Dyson's report - I'm very grateful to him for what he has done.

"I can only imagine the feelings of the royal family and I hope very much that the BBC will be taking every possible step to make sure nothing like this ever happens again."

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: "Following the publication of Lord Dyson's report we will assess its contents to ensure there is no significant new evidence."

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told Sky News the report "raises some very serious questions" and "issues around governance" within the BBC.

He said: "I think an apology is a start, but I don't think it's the end of it."

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: "With a free press and free media, the media themselves and our broadcasters, and the national broadcaster, has a huge sense of responsibility with the way in which they investigate, review and conduct their own media reports.

"So there will be very, very strong and searching questions for the BBC post the publication of this report."

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden last night said the report "reveals damning failings at the heart of the BBC" and he will "consider whether further governance reforms are needed".

Prince William and his brother Harry have both criticised the corporation's failures surrounding the Panorama interview with their mother, with the Duke of Cambridge saying it "contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia and isolation".

Tory former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith told Sky News' All Out Politics programme: "In the beginning there was clearly a fraud that took place to secure an interview and that in itself I think the director of public prosecutions may need to think further on that one."

He was also critical of the cover-up by the BBC arguing had the initial investigation been properly carried out "history may have been changed by it".

He added: "They were trying to kill news, which is not what they are about.

"A news broadcaster must follow the news, whether its news about their organisation or news about some other organisation.

"So this requires some rethinking about the nature of how the BBC works I think."

Mr Bashir had faked bank statements, which was a "serious breach" of BBC guidelines on straight-dealing, as he showed them to Diana's brother Earl Spencer to gain access to her, the inquiry by Lord Dyson concluded.

He has since stepped down as the BBC's religion editor due to ongoing health issues.

Despite his ill health, he and the BBC have apologised over the report's findings, with Mr Bashir describing his decision to fake the bank statements as a "stupid thing to do" and "an action I deeply regret".

But he claimed it had "no bearing whatsoever on the personal choice by Princess Diana to take part in the interview".

The Panorama programme, which aired in November 1995, was watched by 23 million people.

Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris at the age of 36 two years later.

In a video statement responding to the Dyson report, Prince William said the interview had "effectively established a false narrative which, for over a quarter of a century, has been commercialised by the BBC and others".

He called for it never to be broadcast again, adding: "This settled narrative now needs to be addressed by the BBC and anyone else who has written or intends to write about these events."

Prince Harry said in his response: "Our mother lost her life because of this, and nothing has changed."

Former BBC director-general Lord Hall, who was director of news at the time, said Mr Bashir and his team's actions "fell short of what was required".

The corporation's current director general, Tim Davie, said: "While today's BBC has significantly better processes and procedures, those that existed at the time should have prevented the interview being secured in this way.

"The BBC should have made greater effort to get to the bottom of what happened at the time and been more transparent about what it knew.

"While the BBC cannot turn back the clock after a quarter of a century, we can make a full and unconditional apology. The BBC offers that today."

SKY

 

[MenInG]

The government will give the BBC a chance to make its own changes following the report into the Diana interview, BBC Newsnight has learnt.

The BBC is under pressure following the inquiry, which found Martin Bashir used deception to get his famous 1995 scoop.

Boris Johnson said the corporation must make sure nothing like it happens again - and ministers have suggested its governance might need reform.

The BBC insists it has made fundamental changes in governance since the 1990s.

The independent inquiry by Lord Dyson, a former senior judge, found Bashir was unreliable and dishonest, and the BBC fell short of its high standards when answering questions about the 1995 interview.

Since it was published, the government is determined to see change at the BBC to ensure that it can never happen again.

According to Newsnight, ministers are interested in a proposal by the former BBC chairman Lord Grade to introduce a new independent editorial board that would report to the current management.

The idea is set to be considered next year as part of a mid-term review of the BBC's royal charter. The Royal Charter is an agreement with the government over what the BBC intends to do - including how it is funded and run - and the current charter lasts until 2027.

But Newsnight understands that the corporation will be given a chance to introduce the changes itself.

"The BBC may be able to do it themselves," said a government source.

It comes as the chairman of the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee - which scrutinises the BBC - has written to the BBC's director general Tim Davie demanding answers.

"In the wake of the Dyson report there are serious questions still left to answer," said Julian Knight.

"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."

Mr Knight said in particular he wanted to know why Bashir was rehired in 2016, by which time questions had already been raised about his conduct.

The BBC has defended rehiring Bashir, saying the post was filled after a competitive interview process. Bashir left the BBC earlier this month without a pay-off.

In an email to staff on Friday, the BBC's director general Tim Davie said it had been a difficult week and acknowledged that people across the organisation "feel deeply let down".

But he said: "I know that we now have significantly stronger processes and governance in place to ensure that an event like this doesn't happen again. However we must also learn lessons and keep improving."

Princess Diana's interview with Bashir for Panorama was the first time a serving royal had spoken so openly about life in the Royal Family.

In it, the princess spoke about her unhappy marriage to Prince Charles, and famously said: "There were three of us in this marriage."

The inquiry that was published on Thursday was commissioned by the BBC last year, after Earl Spencer - Diana's brother - went public with his concerns about the tactics used to get the interview.

On Friday, Mr Johnson said he hoped the BBC would take "every possible step to make sure nothing like this ever happens again".

Meanwhile Ofcom - the media watchdog - said it would be talking to the BBC about what further action might be needed.

BBC

 

[MenInG]

Ex-BBC director general Lord Hall has resigned as National Gallery chairman amid the outcry after an inquiry into Panorama's Princess Diana interview.

Lord Hall, who was director of news when Martin Bashir used deception to get the 1995 scoop, said his continued presence would be a "distraction".

The inquiry described an internal probe led by Lord Hall in 1996 into what happened as "woefully ineffective".

Diana's brother Earl Spencer has asked the Met Police to investigate the BBC.

A spokesman for the force would not comment on whether Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick had received a letter from Earl Spencer, who has alleged his sister was the victim of blackmail and fraud.

Earlier this week, the Met said it would assess the new report "to ensure there is no significant new evidence", after previously deciding against a criminal investigation.

BBC

 

[OMB]

Martin Bashir scandal: BBC to review policies over Diana report and says 'audiences had a right to expect better'

Journalist Martin Bashir used "deceitful behaviour" to land his world exclusive with Princess Diana, an inquiry found.

The BBC Board has announced a review of the corporation's editorial policies and said "audiences had a right to expect better" in the wake of the inquiry into its 1995 interview with Diana, Princess of Wales.

The inquiry by Lord Dyson concluded that journalist Martin Bashir used "deceitful behaviour" to land the world exclusive and that an internal BBC investigation a year later had covered it up.

Following the publication of the report, Bashir apologised to Harry and William but stopped short of admitting that he duped Diana into the Panorama interview.

In a statement, the BBC Board has now responded to the independent investigation, admitting failures and saying it hopes to ensure the "mistakes of the past" are not repeated following a "profoundly sobering period for us all".

"We accepted Lord Dyson's findings in full and reiterate the apology we have offered to all those affected by the failings identified," the statement said. "We recognise the impact that the events it describes has had on so many people, not least those whose lives were personally affected by what happened. We also acknowledge that audiences had a right to expect better from the BBC.

"As a board we believe that the BBC is a different organisation today, with different and stronger governance, as well as improved processes. Nevertheless, Lord Dyson's report speaks to historic failings of oversight and these should be reflected upon. We must not just assume that mistakes of the past cannot be repeated today - we must make sure that this is the case.

"We have confidence that the processes and guidelines in today's BBC are much stronger than they were in 1995, but we know we must also do what we can to prevent such an incident happening again. As such, we think it is right that we review the effectiveness of the BBC's editorial policies and governance in detail."

Martin Bashir's Diana interview: BBC boss says 'we must learn lessons' from damning report into Panorama episode

The review will be undertaken by a group of non-executive board directors, led by Sir Nick Serota, senior independent director of the BBC, and supported by Ian Hargreaves and Sir Robbie Gibb, non-executive members of the corporation's editorial guidelines and standards committee.

It will look at "oversight of editorial practices", the culture of the BBC, and assess the "robustness and independence of whistleblowing processes", and report to the BBC Board in September. The review will also identify "lessons to be learned" from the Dyson inquiry.

The board added: "We have confidence that the processes and guidelines in today's BBC are much stronger than they were in 1995, but we know we must also do what we can to prevent such an incident happening again.

"As such, we think it is right that we review the effectiveness of the BBC's editorial policies and governance in detail."

It emerged on Saturday that Diana's brother Earl Spencer has written to the Metropolitan Police chief to ask the force to look again at the circumstances surrounding the interview.

The force has said it will study the findings to assess whether the report contains any "significant new evidence".

Lord Dyson said Bashir was in "serious breach" of the BBC's producer guidelines when he faked bank statements and showed them to Earl Spencer to gain access to the princess.

Former BBC director-general Lord Hall, who was heavily criticised in the report for his botched inquiry into how the interview was obtained, has since resigned as chairman of the National Gallery saying continuing in the role "would be a distraction to an institution I care deeply about".

https://news.sky.com/story/martin-bashir-scandal-bbc-to-review-policies-over-diana-report-and-says-audiences-had-a-right-to-expect-better-12315885

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://news.sky.com/story/no-evidence-martin-bashir-was-rehired-as-cover-up-over-princess-diana-interview-review-finds-12332124

The theory that Martin Bashir was rehired by the BBC to cover up events surrounding his Panorama interview with Princess Diana is "completely unfounded", a review has found.

A BBC investigation has concluded that no one involved in Mr Bashir's recruitment in 2016 had knowledge of all of the matters contained in the Lord Dyson report released earlier this year, which criticised the methods used by the journalist to secure his bombshell 1995 interview.

However, there was some awareness of controversy surrounding the interview - and of other controversies involving Mr Bashir - before he was re-employed, the review found.

Mr Bashir returned to the broadcaster as religion correspondent in 2016, some two decades after the Panorama episode that made him a household name in journalism and 17 years after he originally left for ITV. He was promoted to religion editor in 2018, but quit citing health issues ahead of the Dyson report being published.

The review of his rehiring by Ken MacQuarrie concluded: "I have found no evidence that Martin Bashir was re-hired to contain and/or cover up the events surrounding the 1995 Panorama programme. In my view, that theory is entirely unfounded."

Mr MacQuarrie found that while there were "some shortcomings in the process" by which Mr Bashir was re-employed, "I am satisfied that that he was ultimately appointed because his knowledge and experience were considered to be the best match to the requirements for the role at that time".

However, writing about three individuals involved in rehiring Mr Bashir, Mr MacQuarrie said that one "had some recollection... about the controversy surrounding the 1995 Panorama programme" and "took steps to find out more about it". After investigation, the allegations were considered "spent", the review found.

The decision to rehire Mr Bashir was "ultimately taken" by then-director of news James Harding, who did not give "sufficient regard" to the other public controversies the journalist had been involved in, the review said.

These included being suspended from ABC News in 2008 after making allegedly sexist remarks during a dinner speech at the Asian American Journalists Association convention in Chicago and criticising US politician Sarah Palin in 2013 for comments she made comparing the Federal debt to slavery.

In response to the review's findings, BBC Director-General Tim Davie said: "While the report finds processes were largely followed at the time, it is clear we need to reflect on the findings to ensure consistent best practice is applied in our recruitment.

"Finally, it is without doubt that had the organisation been aware of what is now publicly known because of the Dyson Report Martin Bashir would have never been reappointed."

Mr Harding also responded to the review, saying in a statement that the responsibility for rehiring Mr Bashir "sits with me" but that the report "shows we chose the person we thought was the best candidate" for the role.

"As the report concludes, we didn't know then what we know now," Mr Harding said. "Of course, if I had known, he wouldn't have got the job."

The Dyson report, published in May, found that Mr Bashir "deceived and induced" Princess Diana's brother Earl Spencer to secure his interview, and that by producing fake bank statements he made a "serious breach" of BBC guidelines. It also suggested the BBC had failed to uphold "governance, accountability and scrutiny".

In response to the Dyson report, Mr Bashir apologised and said the faking of bank statements was a "stupid thing to do. But in an interview with the Sunday Times he said he did not believe he harmed Diana "in any way" and stopped short of admitting that he duped the princess.

Prince William has said the BBC's failures surrounding the interview with his mother "contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia and isolation".

Prince Harry criticised the media following the publication of the Dyson report, saying "practices like these - and even worse - are still widespread today".

Featuring intimate details of Charles and Diana's failed marriage and her life inside the Royal Family, Mr Bashir's 1995 interview was watched by 23 million people.

Allegations about counterfeit bank statements shown to Earl Spencer - suggesting palace officials were taking money to spy on her - first surfaced not long after the interview aired. However, a BBC inquiry the following year cleared Mr Bashir of any wrongdoing.

The Lord Dyson report called the original inquiry "woefully ineffective", and Earl Spencer said he would never have introduced Bashir to his sister had he not been shown faked documents.

Mr MacQuarrie's review also looked into Lord Tony Hall, the former director-general of the BBC who led the internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Panorama interview, who was heavily criticised by Lord Dyson.

Lord Hall did not play a part in the decision to rehire Mr Bashir, the review found, although "he would have at least known of the decision to appoint Martin Bashir".

The publication of the latest review comes as Lord Hall and Lord Birt, another former BBC director-general, are set to be questioned by MPs about the Panorama interview.

Ahead of the DCMS (digital, culture, media and sport committee) hearing on Tuesday, DCMS committee chair Julian Knight said he was "deeply concerned" by revelations in the BBC's report into the decision to rehire Mr Bashir.

"That the BBC considered rehiring Martin Bashir when there were high-level doubts over his integrity stretches incredulity to breaking point," he said. "By this point, as the Dyson report concluded, senior members of the BBC knew that Bashir had lied about the use of faked bank statements to gain access to Princess Diana."

Mr Knight added: "We look forward to getting answers tomorrow."

 

[MenInG]

Police will not launch a criminal investigation into BBC journalist Martin Bashir's Panorama interview with Princess Diana.

The decision comes after the Metropolitan Police assessed the Lord Dyson report into the 1995 documentary, which saw the journalist do a sit-down with the royal.

Scotland Yard had already said in March it would not launch a criminal investigation into the interview, but added that it had since assessed the contents of the Dyson report, published two months later.

In a statement on Wednesday, the force said: "In March 2021, the Metropolitan Police Service determined it was not appropriate to begin a criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful activity in connection with a documentary broadcast in 1995.

"Following the publication of Lord Dyson's report in May, specialist detectives assessed its contents and looked carefully at the law - once again obtaining independent legal advice from Treasury Counsel as well as consulting the Crown Prosecution Service.

"As a result, the MPS has not identified evidence of activity that constituted a criminal offence and will therefore be taking no further action."

In a 127-page report, Dyson forensically detailed the BBC's internal investigation and the cover-up that meant the fact Bashir had faked documents, while trying to secure the interview, had been hidden from the outside world.

The report also concluded the journalist breached rules by mocking up fake bank statements and showing them to Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, to gain access to the princess.

The inquiry said that by covering up Mr Bashir's behaviour, the corporation "fell short of high standards of integrity and transparency".

The BBC and Mr Bashir have both apologised, and the corporation has written apologies to Diana's sons Prince William and Prince Harry, as well as Prince Charles and Earl Spencer.

BBC

 

[MenInG]

The BBC has agreed to pay "substantial" damages to the former nanny of Princes William and Harry over "false and malicious" claims made about her by journalist Martin Bashir.

Last year, a report found Mr Bashir "deceived and induced" Princess Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, to secure a bombshell Panorama interview with her in 1995.

As part of that process, Mr Bashir is alleged to have lied about Tiggy Legge-Bourke - who looked after the princes when they young - telling Earl Spencer she had an affair with Prince Charles.

Louise Prince, her lawyer, said the assertions included the "very serious and totally unfounded allegations that the claimant was having an affair with HRH Prince of Wales, resulting in a pregnancy which was aborted".

Ms Prince added: "The allegations were fabricated. They also appeared to exploit some prior false speculation in the media about the claimant and HRH The Prince of Wales."

The lawyer went on: "The claimant did not have an affair with HRH The Prince of Wales, did not become pregnant with his child, and did not have an abortion."

Princess Diana was affected by the fabrications, Ms Prince said, becoming "aware of (them) in late 1995".

William and Harry's late mother became "upset with (Ms Legge-Bourke) without apparent justification".

These events cause Ms Legge-Bourke, whose married name is Alexandra Pettifer, to become "extremely upset and confused", Mr Prince told the High Court.

She added: "She felt she had to prove to others that the allegations were untrue by revealing highly sensitive matters, including private medical information.

"Sadly Diana, Princess of Wales could not be convinced, even when incontrovertible evidence was presented."

There was widespread publicity, causing Mrs Pettifer considerable anguish, Ms Prince said.

"To the Claimant's great distress the falsehoods were published very prominently in the national press at the time and repeated over the intervening 25 years.

"Both she and her family have until the present day continued to face suspicion and disbelief. A long shadow has been cast over relationships with those close and dear to her."

In court this morning, representatives for the BBC apologised to Mrs Pettifer and agreed to pay damages.

They said: "The BBC accepts that the allegations made against the claimant were wholly baseless, should never have been made, and that the BBC did not, at the time, adequately investigate serious concerns over the circumstance in which the BBC secured the Panorama interview with Diana, the Princess of Wales."

Earlier this year, the BBC apologised "unreservedly" to the Princess of Wales's private secretary, Patrick Jephson, and paid him a "substantial sum" in damages - again over the way Martin Bashir obtained his 1995 Panorama interview.

Tim Davie, BBC director-general, said: "The BBC has agreed to pay substantial damages to Mrs Pettifer and I would like to take this opportunity to apologise publicly to her, to the Prince of Wales, and to the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex, for the way in which Princess Diana was deceived and the subsequent impact on all their lives.

"It is a matter of great regret that the BBC did not get to the facts in the immediate aftermath of the programme when there were warning signs that the interview might have been obtained improperly.

"Instead, as the Duke of Cambridge himself put it, the BBC failed to ask the tough questions.

"Had we done our job properly Princess Diana would have known the truth during her lifetime. We let her, the royal family and our audiences down."

Mr Davie added: "Now we know about the shocking way that the interview was obtained I have decided that the BBC will never show the programme again; nor will we licence it in whole or part to other broadcasters.

"It does of course remain part of the historical record and there may be occasions in the future when it will be justified for the BBC to use short extracts for journalistic purposes, but these will be few and far between and will need to be agreed at executive committee level and set in the full context of what we now know about the way the interview was obtained.

"I would urge others to exercise similar restraint."

SKY

 

[MenInG]

Pretty criminal the way this "journalist" behaved.