Complaint
A listener complained derogatory and demeaning language was used to describe the former Prime Minister Liz Truss. The ECU considered whether the reference to “a lettuce” breached the BBC’s guidelines on impartiality.
Outcome
The ECU considered the reference – during an interview with the SNP’s leader in the House of Commons – was not to Ms Truss personally but to a widely-reported newspaper stunt which compared her tenure as Prime Minister to the time a lettuce lasted before wilting. It was light hearted in tone and did not suggest bias on the part of the presenter.
Not Upheld