ARAB TIMES, SUNDAY, MAY 23, 2021 INTERNATIONAL 7

Britain

Diana’s sons decry interview BBC faces questions of ‘integrity’ at home LONDON, May 22, (AP): British broadcaster BBC, seen as a respected source of news and information around the world, is facing questions at home about its integrity following a scathing report on its explo- sive 1995 interview with Princess Diana. Britain’s justice secretary said Friday that the gov- ernment would review the rules governing oversight of the BBC after an investigation found that one of its journalists used “deceitful behavior” to secure the interview and the corporation obscured this miscon- duct for 25 years. Princes William and Harry, Diana’s sons, excoriated the BBC late Thursday, saying there was a direct link between the interview and their moth- er’s death in a traffic accident two years later as she and a companion were being pur- sued by paparazzi. The interview on the Panorama program came Diana under renewed scrutiny after Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, complained that journalist Martin Bashir used false documents and other dishonest tactics to persuade Diana to grant the interview. As a result, the BBC commissioned an investigation by retired Judge John Dyson, who released a 127-page report on his In this May 28, 2020 file photo, protesters demonstrate on University Avenue while holding a ‘WE CAN’T BREATHE’ sign in St. Paul, Minn., following the death of George findings Thursday. Floyd. As the one-year anniversary of Floyd’s murder approaches, some people say the best way to honor him is for Congress to pass a bill in his name that overhauls policing. (AP) Reform “It wasn’t just the decision of a reporter or a pro- duction team, there were decisions made much fur- GOP pans $1.7T offer ther up the chain about the conduct of these individu- als that have now proved, according to Lord Dyson, to be unfounded and wrong,’’ Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told the BBC. “And therefore, gov- ernment does have a responsibility to look very care- fully to see whether the governance of the BBC does Infrastructure deal thrown into doubt need reform in the light of these devastating find- WASHINGTON, May 22, (AP): The pros- from the president’s initial offer. mer Trump adviser. intended to make a good faith effort at com- ings.” pects for an ambitious infrastructure deal But the memo makes clear Biden is not Psaki said the new proposal drops the promise, and to prod Republicans to put a The BBC, founded in 1922, is Britain’s publicly have been thrown into serious doubt after interested in the Republicans’ idea of having president’s proposed expenditures on broad- more substantive counteroffer on the table, funded but editorially independent national broad- the White House reduced President Joe consumers pay for the new investments band as well as roads, bridges and other the officials said. caster. The rules governing its operations are set out Biden’s sweeping proposal to $1.7 trillion through tolls, gas taxes or other fees. Instead, major investments to meet the Republicans’ In earlier talks, latest offer from GOP in a royal charter that requires the corporation to be but Republican senators rejected the com- the administration is sticking with his proposal lower level. lawmakers left some dismay in the adminis- impartial, act in the public interest and be open, promise as disappointing, saying “vast dif- to raise corporate taxes to pay for the new tration that there wasn’t more movement transparent and accountable. A mid-term review of ferences” remain. investment, which is a red line for Republicans. Supply from their initial $568 billion proposal. the BBC’s governance is scheduled to begin next While talks have not collapsed, the down- “Our approach should ensure that corpo- She said the administration’s proposal The White House’s hopes for a bipartisan year. beat assessment is certain to mean new wor- rations are paying their fair share,” said the also involved “shifting investments in deal on infrastructure have cooled but they Even before the Dyson report, the BBC was under ries from Democrats that time is slipping to memo from the administration’s negotiators research and development, supply chains, have not abandoned the effort, one of the pressure from some members of Prime Minister strike a deal. The president’s team is hold- to the GOP senators. manufacturing and small business” out of officials said. Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party who believe the ing to a soft Memorial Day deadline to But Republicans dismissed the new the infrastructure talks, since they could be Biden has reveled in the face-to-face broadcaster has a liberal bias. Johnson said he was determine whether a compromise is within White House offer as “very marginal move- considered elsewhere, noting in Endless negotiations, aides said, and has expressed concerned about the findings and hoped that the reach. Skepticism had been rising on all ment” on the topline without much differ- Frontiers Act, which is a separate bipartisan hope to bring Republicans along. broadcaster would make sure “nothing like this ever sides over the lack of significant movement ence in policy, according to a Republican bill pending in the Senate. But the outward talks of progress have happens again.’’ off Biden’s $2.3 trillion plan or the GOP’s aide familiar with the negotiations and But Psaki said the president’s team is still not translated into the two sides getting At the heart of the scandal were documents made proposed $568 billion alternative. granted anonymity to discuss them. pushing for investments in new veterans much closer to a deal. Beyond the signifi- to look like bank statements, falsely suggesting that “This proposal exhibits a willingness to The new offer was “disappointing,” the hospitals, rail projects and green energy cant gap in the two sides’ visions for the members of Diana’s inner circle were being paid to come down in size,” said White House press aide said. investments to fight climate change that size of the package, there has been little spy on her. secretary Jen Psaki, disclosing the new offer Securing a vast infrastructure plan is Republicans have excluded from their offers. discussion of how to reach an agreement on Spencer alleged that Bashir used the documents to Friday as talks were underway between key Biden’s top priority as he seeks to make good In all, the White House cut broadband from how to pay for it. gain his trust so Spencer would introduce the journal- Cabinet secretaries and GOP senators at a on his campaign pledge to “build back better” $100 billion to $65 billion, as Republicans One GOP senator in the talks suggested ist to Diana. He also alleged that Bashir made up crucial stage toward a deal. in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis and proposed. It also reduced road and bridges tapping unspent funds from the massive stories about the royal family to strengthen Diana’s But after the hourlong meeting, the the economic churn from a shifting economy. spending by $39 billion, from $159 billion to COVID-19 aid package to help pay for the belief that there was a conspiracy against her. Republicans quickly rejected the new $120 billion, to move closer to the GOP’s infrastructure investment. Other funds could When graphic designer Matt Wiessler, who had approach as “well above the range” of a Support proposal of $48 billion in new funds. be tapped from uncollected tax revenues or been commissioned by Bashir to create mocked-up proposal that could win bipartisan support. With narrow Democratic majorities in the Removing the research and development public-private partnerships. documents, saw the program, he immediately made The two sides “seem further apart” than House and Senate, the president is reaching funds would cut a whopping $480 billion, One strategy that had gained momentum the connection between his commission and the when negotiations began, according to a out to Republicans for support on a poten- the aides said. would be for Biden to negotiate a more lim- interview. He brought his concerns to BBC manage- statement from an aide to Sen Shelley tially bipartisan approach rather than relying The White House characterized the ited, traditional infrastructure bill of roads, ment, but he has long contended that they made him Moore Capito, R-W.Va., the lead negotiator simply on his own party to muscle the pro- GOP’s initial $568 billion “Roadmap” pro- highways, bridges and broadband as a bipar- a scapegoat. for the group of six GOP senators. posal to passage. posal as amounting to an estimated $175 tisan effort. Then, Democrats could try to He said there is a culture within the BBC that “the The White House and the Republican sen- But Republicans are adamantly opposed billion to $225 billion in “new investment, muscle through the remainder of Biden’s little people’’ don’t need to be addressed. His busi- ators have been in talks ever since Biden met to Biden’s proposed corporate tax increase above current levels Congress has tradition- priorities on climate investments and the so- ness faltered after the BBC blacklisted him from with a core group of Republican negotiators to pay for the package, refusing to undo the ally funded,” according to the memo. called human infrastructure of child care, assignments. over the possibility of working together on an 2017 tax cuts, the party’s signature domes- The GOP senators have not publicly dis- education and hospitals on their own. “Only under duress do we get some sort of apolo- infrastructure plan. The White House dis- tic accomplishment under president Donald closed their latest offer. But, administration aides believe, if such gy and some sort of acknowledgement,” he told the patched the transportation and commerce Trump. They reduced the corporate rate The statement from Capito’s office said an “infrastructure only” bipartisan deal is BBC. secretaries and top aides to Capitol Hill to from 35% to 21%. Biden proposes lifting there continue to be vast differences far smaller than Biden’s original proposal, Amid the outcry following the report, the BBC’s meet with the Republicans earlier this week, the corporate tax to 28%. between the White House and Senate the White House risks a rebellion from director-general, Tim Davie, said the broadcaster and they had a follow-up video call Friday. “If they’re willing to settle on target a Republicans on “the definition of infrastruc- Democrats who could claim that the presi- “should have made greater effort to get to the bottom According to a memo obtained by The infrastructure bill without revisiting the ture, the magnitude of proposed spending, dent made a bad deal and missed the of what happened at the time and been more transpar- Associated Press, the administration’s new 2017 tax bill we’ll work with them,” and how to pay for it.” moment to pass a sweeping, transforma- ent about what it knew.’’ approach is cutting more than $550 billion McConnell told Fox’s Larry Kudlow, a for- The new offer from the White House was tional package. But the BBC also insisted that it had strengthened rules making it possible to outpoint failings. Access “There has been radical change over the past 25 years. We now have a thorough and industry-leading whistleblowing scheme, which provides clear and independent routes to raise concerns and, if neces- sary, direct access for whistle-blowers to a non- executive director on the BBC board,’’ the BBC said. “That is very different to the past. ‘’ In the interview, a major scoop for Bashir, Diana famously said that “there were three of us in this mar- riage” - referring to her husband Prince Charles’ relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles. Her candid account of her failing marriage was watched by mil- lions and sent shockwaves through the British mon- archy. Bashir went on to forge a successful career on both sides of the Atlantic. He conducted another bomb- shell interview with Michael Jackson in 2003 for ITV and worked for both ABC and MSNBC. He returned to the BBC in 2016 as religion editor. James Harding, the director of BBC News at the time Bashir was re-hired, apologized and said responsibil- ity for the journalist’s return “sits with me.” Bashir, who resigned this month citing ill health, apologized for faking the documents. But he said it had “no bearing whatsoever on the personal choice by Princess Diana to take part in the interview.’’ The impact of the interview lives on. Prince William, 38, said the interview had created a “false narrative” about Diana that should be corrected by the BBC and news organizations. “It is my view that the deceitful way that the inter- view was obtained substantially influenced what my mother said,” he said in a broadcast statement. “The interview was a major contribution to making my parents’ relationship worse and has since hurt count- less others.” William also criticized the BBC’s “woeful incom- petence” in investigating complaints about the pro- gram. “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,” he said. “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.” Meanwhile, Prince William and his brother Prince Harry on Thursday issued strongly worded state- ments criticizing the BBC and British media for unethical practices after an investigation concluded that one of the broadcaster’s journalists used “deceit- ful behavior” to secure Princess Diana’s most explo- sive TV interview in 1995. The circumstances surrounding the interview from more than 20 years ago came under scrutiny after Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, made renewed complaints that journalist Martin Bashir used false documents and other dishonest tactics to persuade Diana to agree to the interview.