Apology from Radio 4’s PM programme

On 9th May, Radio 4’s PM programme made a rare reference to the Socialist Party. Unfortunately it was completely untrue.

“The Socialist Party, which includes ex-members of Militant” had contacted them, they explained, to complain that Jeremy Corbyn was “too right wing and not a socialist but a reformist.”

When we urgently contacted them to complain we had done no such thing and that on the contrary, we are energetically campaigning for the election of Jeremy Corbyn on 8 June, they did apologise in writing for the journalist, Iain Watson, “saying on air that he had been contacted by ‘the Socialist Party which includes ex-members of Militant Tendency’“.

In addition a rather snide apology was made on air. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, however, our request for a right to reply on air was not granted. Nor did the BBC seem to understand the difference between ourselves, with a clear and easily-available public record of supporting Jeremy Corbyn and with over 2,000 members including 18 members of trade union executives, and the miniscule left group who it seems had sent the tweet attributed to us.

Hannah Sell, Socialist Party deputy general secretary