The BBC was forced into an embarrassing climbdown yesterday after Robert Jenrick was branded ‘xenophobic’ on a flagship radio news programme.
Corporation bosses apologised to the Shadow Justice Secretary and had Radio 4’s Today taken down from its streaming services and edited.
Guest Dr Krish Kandiah prompted fury when he used the Thought For The Day segment of Today to criticise this weekend’s Mail on Sunday front page in which Mr Jenrick said he worried for his young daughters and defended protests against asylum hotels.
With no reference made to his role as the founder of a refugee charity, Dr Kandiah was allowed to accuse the top Tory of fuelling ‘fear of the stranger’, telling listeners: ‘The technical name for this is xenophobia.’
Mr Jenrick hit back, tweeting: ‘On BBC Radio 4 this morning listeners were told that if you’re concerned about the threat of illegal migrants to your kids, you’re racist. Wrong. You’re a good parent.’
