Former BBC News director slams broadcaster's 'bizarre' Reform coverage

A FORMER BBC News director has criticised the broadcaster's coverage of Reform UK's latest welfare plans branding it "bizarre". Richard Sambrook, who spent 10 years on the corporation's management board before becoming BBC News director, has called out the prominence given to plans by Nigel Farage's party to cut £50 billion from the benefits bill by scrapping the personal independence payment (Pip). It was the lead story on the BBC News website in the early hours of Sunday morning and remains in the top three at the time of writing, while Sambrook highlighted it had led headlines on News at Ten and on some radio stations. READ MORE: Files reveal Scottish Government grants to Israel-linked arms firms Sambrook posted on BlueSky on Sunday questioning whether the BBC would treat policies from the LibDems or Greens in a similar fashion. He said: "BBC’s coverage of Reform’s welfare plans is frankly bizarre. Headlines in Ten, leading on some radio networks. "Reform are not even the official opposition and the plans have less credibility than Count Binface. Will BBC News do the same for Lib Dem and Greens policy two years out from an election?" The plans have not yet been laid out in full by Reform, with the party's treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick announcing this would happen on Monday. Some on social media have criticised the legitimacy with which the story has been treated when there are still few known details of the plan. Just heard BBC news lead with Reform policy proposal. How is that editorial decision justified three years out from an election for a party that is a) not the official opposition b) has eight seats in parliament c) is no longer leading the polls? Free publicity as usual. — Barry Malone (@malonebarry) August 16, 2026 Journalist Barry Malone, a former executive producer for Al Jazeera, posted on Twitter/X claiming the BBC was giving Reform "free publicity". He said: "Just heard BBC news lead with Reform policy proposal. "How is that editorial decision justified three years out from an election for a party that is a) not the official opposition b) has eight seats in parliament c) is no longer leading the polls? Free publicity as usual." The story was shared by the BBC on the back of a piece Jenrick had written for the Sunday Telegraph. Green Party leader Zack Polanski last week criticised how the BBC allows "billionaire-owned newspapers" to set its agenda when speaking exclusively to The National. He also used his platform at the Edinburgh Fringe to call out the level of coverage the broadcaster give's to Farage's party in comparison to his. Last year it was reported that the BBC had drawn up plans to win over Reform UK voters , according to editorial meeting minutes. READ MORE: Scots give verdict on Reform UK and growth of far-right in new poll Minutes from a meeting of the broadcaster's editorial guidelines and standards committee from March 2025 showed that then-BBC News CEO Deborah Turness gave a presentation in which she discussed plans to alter "story selection" and "other types of output, such as drama" to win the trust of Reform voters. It comes after the BBC was blasted last week for defying economic experts in its Reporting Scotland package on the Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) figures . On Reporting Scotland on Wednesday morning, presenter Sarah McMullan claimed GERS figures show the "notional deficit an independent Scotland would have faced last financial year" despite experts at a leading economic institute saying this is not the case less than 24 hours before. The Fraser of Allander Institute, based at Strathclyde University, warned on Tuesday to use the annual GERS report into Scotland’s fiscal position in the UK to attack the economics of an independent Scotland “is to misuse it”. Reform's welfare plans include making companies pay for any employees off sick for the first two years. Businesses with more than five employees would have to take out insurance to cover the cost. The party says they would cut the National Insurance contributions paid by employers to offset the cost of this measure, insisting the change would be cost neutral for businesses. The BBC has been approached for comment. Share