BBC director general Lord Hall has reversed a decision to partially uphold a complaint against Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty, stating her comments were not 'sufficient to merit a partial uphold'. The original ruling found Munchetty had breached BBC guidelines over remarks about a Donald Trump tweet targeting four female politicians of colour.
On 14 July, Trump tweeted that four Democratic congresswomen should 'go back' to 'the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came'. During a BBC Breakfast discussion on 17 July, Munchetty said: 'Every time I have been told, as a woman of colour, to go back to where I came from, that was embedded in racism.' A viewer complained, and the BBC's executive complaints unit partially upheld the complaint, ruling that Munchetty had given her opinion on Trump's motives.
Lord Hall said he personally reviewed the decision and concluded that Munchetty's words did not warrant a partial uphold. He reiterated that 'racism is racism and the BBC is not impartial on the topic'. The reversal follows an open letter from 44 black actors and broadcasters, including Sir Lenny Henry, calling for the decision to be overturned, as well as support from over 100 MPs.
Munchetty received widespread support on social media, with the hashtag #IStandWithNaga trending. Political figures including Chancellor Sajid Javid and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also voiced support. Trevor Phillips, former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, called the reversal a 'good decision'. The original complainant retains the right to refer the matter to broadcasting regulator Ofcom.
