BBC warns journalists not to tweet their ‘private’ political views after Breakfast presenter hit out at Question Time debate on teaching children about sexuality

• The controversial question was posed during a debate in Sheffield last Thursday 
• Asked whether it is ‘morally right’ for children to be taught about LGBT issues 
• Ben Thompson, seen on BBC Breakfast, took issue with the question’s wording 
• Email sent to staff warned of ‘appropriate action’ if ‘private’ views are tweeted

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The BBC has warned its journalists not to tweet their ‘private’ political views after a Breakfast presenter was among those to hit out at a controversial Question Time debate.

Ben Thompson, who presents BBC Breakfast, criticised a question posed to the panel last week which asked whether ‘it is morally right for five-year-old children to learn about LGBT issues in school’. 

The question was posed to the panel in Sheffield, which included Damian Hinds MP, the Conservative Education Secretary, and Jenny Chapman, the MP for Darlington. 

Ben Thompson (pictured alongside fellow presenter Sally Nugent) hit out a question posed to the Question Time panel in Sheffield last week 

The question posed to the panellists by an audience member was: ‘Is it morally right that five-year-old children learn about LGBTQ+ issues in school?’  

Thompson took issue with the wording, re-tweeting the question and adding his own commentary 

After raising his concerns, he thanked people for their messages online. But the BBC has warned staff not to tweet their ‘private’ political views in future 

Taking issue with the wording of the question, Thompson said: ‘LGBT ‘issues’? Like what? That we exist? One of them, RIGHT HERE, is on your TV every morning.

‘I held back on this, hoping it was clumsy writing, done in haste. But it’s still online. Would you ask if it’s ‘morally right’ to learn about gender/race/religion/disability ‘issues’?’       

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In an email sent to staff, director of news and current affairs Fran Unsworth told employees to refrain from expressing political views and criticising their colleagues on social media – with those who breach the rules facing ‘appropriate action’. 

Unsworth wrote: ‘We all have personal views, but it is part of our role with the BBC to keep those views private.

‘Our Editorial Guidelines say BBC staff must not ‘advocate any particular position on a matter of public policy, political or industrial controversy, or any other ‘controversial subject’.’

In an email sent to staff, director of news and current affairs Fran Unsworth (pictured) told employees to refrain from expressing political views and criticising their colleagues on social media – with those who breach the rules facing ‘appropriate action’

She warned that ignoring the rules risks ‘undermining the BBC’s reputation, particularly given our renewed focus on impartiality’.   

BBC presenter Sue Perkins, was also critical of the question – which was posed by an audience member to panellists. 

She said: ‘The framing of this question is deeply worrying. Are we really here again, nearly two decades after Section 28 was repealed?’     

Unsworth did not refer to the Question Time row in her email but reminded staff ‘don’t criticise your colleagues’, and not to ‘sound off about things in an openly partisan way’.

BBC presenter Sue Perkins (pictured), was also critical of the question – which was posed by an audience member to the panellists

Perkins tweeted: ‘The framing of this question is deeply worrying. Are we really here again, nearly two decades after Section 28 was repealed?’

Following the publication of the letter, BBC Three duty editor Declan Cashin retweeted a post that said: ‘Believing that LGBT people are humans is not a ‘political view’.’

He wrote: ‘I, for one, have emailed Fran Unsworth to express my absolute bafflement and rage about this, and I hope my other BBC colleagues, gay or straight, will do likewise.’

Labour MP Wes Streeting tweeted: ‘BBC digging deeper. Imagine telling LGBT staff that defending their mere existence being taught in schools is taking a political stance. What next @bbcpress? Total disgrace.’

While Holby City actor David Ames described the question’s phrasing as as ‘not only insulting but damaging’ 

A BBC spokeswoman said: ‘This was a general reminder to all BBC news staff about social media guidelines and made no mention of LGBT issues.’  

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