Page 20 Daily Mail, Friday, August 30, 2019
Brand’s crass ‘joke’ about
throwing acid did go too far
of violent threats and attacks on
politicians, including the murder of
Labour MP Jo Cox.
Downing Street and MPs
demanded explanations from the
BBC about why the joke had ever
aired – even after two senior Corpo-
ration editors had vetted it.
The BBC initially tried to defend
Miss Brand’s remarks, but was
forced to re-edit the programme
after it emerged that it was at risk
of a police probe.
Scotland Yard said in June that it
was assessing an allegation of
‘incitement to violence’ relating to
‘comments made on a radio pro-At last, BBC rules that anti-Farage jibe
‘went beyond what was appropriate’
THE BBC has finally admitted
that Jo Brand’s joke about throw-
ing battery acid at Right-wing
politicians stepped over the line.
By Katherine Rushton
Media and Technology Editor
The Corporation said her
gag ‘went beyond what was
appropriate’.
But it only partially upheld
complaints, saying Miss Brand’s
comments were ‘not intended to
be taken at face value’. The
inflammatory joke sparked a
huge backlash and intervention
from Downing Street following
its broadcast in June.
The comedian said in an epi-
sode of Radio 4’s Heresy show
that people should hurl battery
acid at politicians instead ofmilkshakes. It was widely inter-
preted as an attack on Brexit
Party leader Nigel Farage, who
had a milkshake lobbed over him
during an EU election campaign
walkabout in Newcastle the pre-
vious month. It followed a stringString of complaints: Jo BrandBRAND: NOW
YARD CALLED IN
upheld against generally accepted
standards of BBC output’. ‘The
ECU also noted that in the right
context and with the right treat-
ment, there is no subject matter
which should be beyond the scope
of comedy,’ it said.
However, the ruling may not be
the end of the matter, as the BBC
could now face an Ofcom probe.
The regulator can investigate BBC
shows if anyone has complained to
the broadcaster and is not satisfied
with the outcome. So far, the watch-
dog has received 444 complaints,
but has not yet decided whether to
investigate.
Tory MP Bill Cash has already
called on Ofcom to open a probe of
its own. ‘I absolutely and completely
repudiate such remarks,’ he said.
Brendan Cox, whose MP wife Jo
was murdered by a neo-Nazi fanatic,
said ‘throwing stuff at politicians
you disagree with... normalises vio-
lence and intimidation’.gramme’, but later decided not to
proceed with the investigation.
Miss Brand apologised afterwards,
calling the gag ‘crass and ill-judged’.
Now the Corporation has gone a
step further, following the ruling
from its Editorial Complaints Unit.
The unit said that, while Miss
Brand’s comments were ‘not
intended to be taken at face value’,
they ‘went beyond what was appro-
priate for the show’.
The complaint ‘was partiallyFrom the Mail, June 14Hospital car crash
earl was uninsured
in an arrest warrant. When asked
about not appearing earlier this
year, he told the Daily Mail: ‘The
CPS failed to deliver the papers to
me or to my solicitor... Of course I
am not “on the run” – what a
strange suggestion.’
Prosecutor Stuart Sampson told
the court that the earl admitted
being at the hospital but said he
was ‘unaware’ of the crash.
The earl, of Savernake, was con-
victed of failing to stop after an
accident, failing to report it, driv-
ing without due care and atten-
tion and driving without insur-
ance. He was given six points on
his licence and a £2,126 fine.By Izzy Ferris
and Juliet ConwayTHE Earl of Cardigan has been
found guilty of a string of charges
relating to a car accident outside
a hospital.
David Brudenell-Bruce, 66,
ploughed his BMW into a nurse’s
car in the hospital car park before
driving away completely ‘una-
ware’ of the crash, a court heard.
The earl had driven his wife Cath-
erine and one of his daughters to
an appointment at Savernake
Community Hospital, Wiltshire,
despite being uninsured.
As he was leaving the car park,
he hit the rear wheel arch of nurse
Alexandra Stephen’s Seat Leon,
causing £750 worth of damage.
Another nurse, Sally-Anne
Mackay, said she saw him drive
away from the scene. She told
magistrates: ‘I heard a car reverse
out from behind me and I heard a
bang. I turned around and saw the
car had hit a parked car. I was
shocked, there was a clear noise.’
Lord Cardigan, who is the father
of The Voice star Bo Bruce, failed
to show up for his trial at Salisbury
magistrates’ court on Wednesday,
and was convicted in his absence.
He also failed to appear at court in
June for the same case, resultingFined: David Brudenell-Bruce,
with his wife Catherine