The BBC has faced backlash for featuring Lord Peter Mandelson in its new documentary, Brexit: A Very British Civil War, which aired on Monday night. The two-part series aims to provide the inside story of how the United Kingdom left the European Union following David Cameron's 2015 election victory.
However, eagle-eyed viewers were quick to criticize the broadcaster for including Mandelson, who was arrested in February on allegations of misconduct in public office and has known ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. In the documentary, Mandelson shared his views on challenging the Leave campaign over immigration, stating: "I said 'we've really got to make a blockbuster speech and confront them over this issue of immigration.'"
Furious viewers took to social media platform X to vent their frustration. One user wrote: "What were the BBC thinking asking Peter Mandelson to be on that Brexit documentary, exactly? And not editing him out?!" Another added: "BBC documentary on Brexit starring Lord Peter Mandelson as a talking head. In this climate. Are you taking the p*ss. This isn’t what I don’t pay my license fee for."
The documentary also delved into the campaign strategies of various party leaders, including controversial advertisements, misleading banners, and car-crash interviews. A notable segment featured Nigel Farage's aide, Andy Wigmore, who revealed the poor condition of the infamous UKIP Brexit Battle Bus—an open-top purple double-decker emblazoned with the slogan "We Want Our Country Back" and Farage's face.
Wigmore, who served as communications director for Farage's leave.eu campaign, described the bus as "s**t" and "falling to bits," adding that repainting it cost more than the bus itself. Farage, however, defended the campaign vehicle, saying: "We did it with a bit of noise. We did it with a bit of colour." In contrast, Boris Johnson's Vote Leave campaign featured an air-conditioned bus with a banner claiming: "We send the EU £350million a week. Let's fund our NHS instead. Let's take back control. Vote leave."
Express.co.uk has contacted the BBC for comment regarding the inclusion of Mandelson.
