BBC hits back at Diane Abbott claims of ‘legitimising racial abuse’ on Question Time

The BBC has hit back at Diane Abbott after she accused the broadcaster of legitimising racist bias and abuse.

The shadow home secretary said she was picked on and interrupted more than any other panellist when she appeared on Question Time, chaired by new host Fiona Bruce, this week.

Twitter users claiming they were in the audience also suggested Ms Abbott was the subject of jokes in the warm up to the show.

In a statement, the BBC denied that any of panellists on the programme had been treated unfairly.

A spokesman for Abbott told the Guardian: “We are appalled by the treatment of Diane Abbott on BBC’s Question Time.

“It was clear that a hostile atmosphere was whipped up, propped up by reports of inappropriate and sexist commentary in the audience warm-up session. School bans skirts and skinny trousers after bad Ofsted report

“A public broadcaster like the BBC should be expected to be a model of impartiality and equality.

“The BBC cannot claim anything of the sort when analysis of the programme shows that the only black woman on the panel was jeered at and interrupted more times than any other panellist, including by the chair herself.

“The media must stop legitimising mistreatment, bias and abuse against Ms Abbott as a black woman in public life.

“The BBC should be ashamed that their programming is complicit in such behaviour.”

In one exchange about letters sent between Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May following the Brexit vote, Ms Bruce asked her: "Why don't you just talk?"

In another exchange, with the journalist Isabel Oakeshott about whether Labour or the Conservatives were ahead in the polls, Ms Abbott said they were "kind of level pegging".

Ms Bruce then interrupted to tell her: "You are behind, Diane."

Writing in The Independent, Ms Abbott later said unlike the programme's previous host, veteran broadcaster David Dimbleby, Ms Bruce did not appear well-briefed and had got the polling wrong.

Describing her experience as "horrible", she said that in the course of the programme, recorded in Derby, she was interrupted more than double the number of times Tory MP Rory Stewart was and was not allowed to respond to a "blatantly abusive remark" from the audience.

She said she had also been told Ms Bruce had made unpleasant remarks about her to the audience before filming began and the audience had been "wound up" against her.

Responding to the allegations, the BBC said: “We are sorry to hear Diane Abbott’s concerns over Thursday night’s edition of Question Time and we have contacted her team today to reassure them that reports circulating on social media are inaccurate and misleading.

“Diane is a regular and important contributor to the programme.

“As we said earlier, we firmly reject claims that any of the panel was treated unfairly either before or during the recording.”