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Comic Relief under fire ahead of BBC Panorama investigation Comic Relief under fire ahead of BBC Panorama investigation
(about 7 hours later)
Comic Relief faced a backlash on Tuesday after revelations about the BBC's Panorama investigation into its investments, with the charity warning that the programme would do "enormous damage" to its cause. Comic Relief's chief executive has promised a full review of its investment policy following a public backlash triggered by a Panorama investigation into the charity's multimillion-pound holdings in tobacco, arms and alcohol companies.
BBC-backed Comic Relief came under sustained criticism on Twitter ahead of the Panorama broadcast on BBC1 at 10.35pm on Tuesday, which will allege that it invested tens of millions of pounds in tobacco, alcohol and arms companies. Kevin Cahill admitted for the first time on Tuesday that the Red Nose Day and Sport Relief charity still had money in managed funds that held shares in tobacco, arms and alcohol firms but said they were "a small percentage, no more than 5% of our funds in any of those particular areas".
The criticism including caustic tweets from some of the charity's own high profile supporters, including comics Frankie Boyle and Al Murray. He was speaking after details emerged of Tuesday night's Panorama documentary on BBC1, which reported that between 2007 and 2009, Comic Relief money was put in shares in schemes that critics say contradict the core aims of the charity.
Lawyers acting for Comic Relief who attempted to get the programme stopped warned that its accusations would "damage vulnerable people in the UK and abroad". The Panorama investigation had prompted several months of wrangling between the programme-makers and Comic Relief, straining the close working relationship the charity has with the BBC, which has broadcast its Red Nose Day and Sport Relief fundraising telethons for nearly 30 years.
In a string of letters to the BBC and the programme's production team, lawyers Harbottle & Lewis said: "We should not have to remind you of the enormous damage your unsubstantiated allegations will cause to our client and its charity aims. Comic Relief's law firm, Harbottle & Lewis, attempted to get the programme stopped, warning that its accusations would "damage vulnerable people in the UK and abroad".
"This is especially so given such claims will damage the vulnerable people in the UK and abroad who our client seeks to help." However, after sustained criticism of Comic Relief on Tuesday, including caustic tweets from some of the charity's own high-profile supporters, including comics Frankie Boyle and Al Murray, Cahill signalled a sudden change of tack.
Journalist and broadcaster Emma Freud, wife of Comic Relief co-founder Richard Curtis, responded to a comment on Twitter that Panorama "will have blood on their hands if their ill-judged programme leads to just one person not donating to future Comic Reliefs". "We will do a full review of our policy after this particular programme and these discussions we are having now," Cahill told Martha Kearney on Radio 4's World at One.
Freud replied: "Thank you for that ... I know." "It's really important that the public stick with us, that they trust us to do the right thing and they understand that we are listening to the messages that are out there on the social networks."
Comic Relief also emailed some of its highest profile supporters with a message from its chief executive Kevin Cahill, saying stories in the media had been "highly misleading". Cahill said it was a "no-brainer" that the charity would rather invest in ethical concerns if they could match or better the returns offered by other investments.
It urged supporters who were asked about the programme to direct people to the official statement on the Comic Relief website, and to a two-minute animation which it said "addressed the wider allegations". But he added that Comic Relief and other charities should seek more clarification over the rules around ethical investments from the Charities Commission.
Comic Relief co-founder Peter Bennett-Jones, in a comment piece published on the Guardian website on Tuesday, defended the charity's investment policies. "Our trustees were acting in good faith in doing what they were doing. It's very good to hear the potential exists within ethical funds to match the return [of funds with non-ethical investments], because Comic Relief would clearly choose to be in those if the return was equal or better to where we currently are. It's a no-brainer for us."
Bennett-Jones said Charity Commission guidance was clear that trustees "must invest for the best possible financial return, while taking a level of risk appropriate for money in their care". Cahill said the charity's trustees had made their investment decisions believing "they delivered the greatest benefits to our benefactors".
He added: "They should only adopt an ethical investment approach with specific justification and not on the grounds of individual moral views." "When a moment like this occurs for a charity like ours, that's never had a blemish on its reputation in its entire 25-year history, which has never been cited for any kind of transgression of Charity Commission regulations or guidelines, the past is important but the future is even more important."
Bennett-Jones stepped down this year as Comic Relief's chair of trustees after 15 years in the role. "This sounds counter-intuitive, but it is the law," he said. "The broader the issues a charity supports, the more difficult it is to justify ethically screened investment – as the range of industries that might need to be excluded would seriously impact on the fundamental requirement to maximise returns." Prior to Cahill's announcement, the charity had come under attack from Boyle, whose controversial routine was axed from a BBC3 broadcast of a Comic Relief fund-raising night this year.
But the charity came under attack from some of its own fund-raisers including comic Boyle, whose controversial routine was axed from a BBC3 broadcast of a Comic Relief fund-raising night earlier this year.
Boyle tweeted: "Will happily perform at this year's Comic Relief if paid in guns" and "Those fairy cakes your kids baked for Comic Relief bought [Ugandan warlord] Joseph Kony a rocket launcher", which had been retweeted 2,000 times at the time of publication.Boyle tweeted: "Will happily perform at this year's Comic Relief if paid in guns" and "Those fairy cakes your kids baked for Comic Relief bought [Ugandan warlord] Joseph Kony a rocket launcher", which had been retweeted 2,000 times at the time of publication.
Murray, better known as the Pub Landord, who appeared in Comic Relief Does Fame Academy on BBC1, said in a reference to Comic Relief's 1991 single, The Stonk; "A stonk is a concentrated artillery barrage." Murray, better known as the Pub Landlord, who appeared in Comic Relief Does Fame Academy on BBC1 in 2005, was also critical on Twitter. Referring to Comic Relief's 1991 single, The Stonk, he pointed out that one definition of a stonk is "a concentrated artillery barrage".
Jolyon Rubenstein, co-creator of BBC3's satirical show, The Revolution Will Be Televised, tweeted: "Comic Relief promise… 'every penny you donate… gets spent on booze and fags. Oh and bombs.'" Other key figures connected to Comic Relief defended the charity.
In other exchanges between Harbottle & Lewis and the programme-makers, Comic Relief's lawyers said: "In addition to damaging the hard work our client has done over the years to build a strong reputation for good work, such claims have the potential of discouraging future donations which will have a detrimental impact on the most vulnerable and poor people across the world. Journalist and broadcaster Emma Freud, wife of Comic Relief co-founder Richard Curtis, replied to a comment on Twitter that said Panorama producers would "have blood on their hands if their ill-judged programme leads to just one person not donating to future Comic Reliefs". Freud responded: "Thank you for that ... I know."
"This is not a matter of heroes and villains providing you with a cracking story but a group of staff and trustees, assisted by some of the best-qualified financial advisers and managers in the country, trying to do the best for beneficiaries they care passionately about." Controversy has surrounded the Panorama documentary, All in a Good Cause, since it was postponed in October, amid claims that a string of executives had ruled themselves out of taking decisions on the programme, as a result of the BBC's longstanding ties with Comic Relief.
Harbottle & Lewis copied in several high-ranking BBC executives, including BBC director of news and current affairs James Harding, BBC News head of programmes Ceri Thomas and the BBC's director of editorial policy and standards, David Jordan. The BBC director general, Tony Hall, and its director of news and current affairs, James Harding, became involved, with the latter understood to have asked the producers to go back and firm up the investigation.
Harding has taken a hands-on role in the programme and its content after its transmission was first put back in October. Hall told an industry conference last month: "It's James's [Harding's] programme. He wants to get it right. It's quite right the director of news has views about programmes – it'll broadcast."
The BBC's director general Tony Hall said last month: "It's James's [Harding's] programme. He wants to get it right. It's quite right the director of news has views about programmes – it'll broadcast." In a string of letters to the BBC and the programme's production team, Comic Relief's lawyers Harbottle & Lewis said: "We should not have to remind you of the enormous damage your unsubstantiated allegations will cause to our client and its charity aims.
It is Harding's first big test since the former Times editor took up his new role in August. "This is especially so given such claims will damage the vulnerable people in the UK and abroad who our client seeks to help."
Harding has urged the BBC's journalists not to shy away from investigative reporting in the wake of the Jimmy Savile and Lord McAlpine affiars.
"Our response to Savile and McAlpine should not be that we shy away from investigative reporting and the coverage of difficult issues," he told staff last week. "In fact, we must renew our commitment to curious, inquisitive journalism in the public interest."
Hall was questioned by MPs about the programme when he appeared before the House of Commons culture, media and sport select committee on 22 October.
Hall said he "very much" hoped the Panorama investigation would air. "When you have a programme which is controversial, and right to be controversial, and making big claims and right to be making big claims about things... you shouldn't set a transmission date," said Hall.
"You should absolutely ensure there's proper time for proper processes to be gone through."
He added: "I very much hope this programme will be transmitted but I don't know yet what the substance of the allegations that are being made are, and are they right or wrong?"
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