BBC Scotland rapped by executive over false Anas Sarwar report

The broadcaster's executive complaints unit (ECU) said that a claim made on BBC Radio Scotland that Sarwar wanted to see the two-child benefit cap scrapped “immediately” was supported by “no evidence”.

In a decision issued on Thursday, the ECU further said that BBC Scotland should have publicly acknowledged the mistake in the broadcast on July 23.

The ECU ruling comes after a listener raised concerns about a Good Morning Scotland report on the two-child benefit cap.

Scottish Labour have claimed to oppose the cap, but have also voted to keep in place.

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In July, the BBC Radio Scotland broadcast had told its audience: “We also know though, in terms of internal Labour party management, the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said he would like to see the two-child cap scrapped immediately.”

The ECU said that the comment had breached the BBC’s standards of accuracy, as Sarwar had actually only called for the two-child limit to be removed at an unspecified point in the future when finances allow.

The complaints unit said in its ruling: “Although some commentators had discerned a difference of emphasis, or even a split, between the position of the Scottish Labour Party and the Prime Minister on this issue, the ECU found no evidence that Mr Sarwar has said the cap should be scrapped immediately, and agreed there had been a breach of the BBC’s standards of accuracy.”  

It went on: “The ECU noted that this had been acknowledged by BBC Scotland in correspondence with the complainant.

“The usual expectation, however, is that missteps of this kind will be acknowledged publicly by the BBC. 

“As that had not happened in this instance, the ECU upheld the complaint.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has given his backing to the two-child benefit capThe two-child benefit cap, which was brought in under the previous Tory government, prevents people from claiming benefits for third or subsequent children, unless they qualify under specific exemptions such as proving that the child is a product of rape.

When in opposition, senior Labour figures panned the cap, with now-Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner calling it “obscene and inhumane”.

However, after taking power the party leadership backed keeping the cap in place. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer suspended seven left-wing Labour MPs from the party in late July after they voted for it to be scrapped.

Campaigners say that ending the cap would be the quickest way to lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty.

Over the weekend, a report from the housing provider the Wheatly Group found that two-child cap is limiting the number of children couples choose to have – despite Scotland’s demographic challenges suggesting the need for more births.