BBC Apologises Over ‘Xenophobia’ Claim Against Robert Jenrick in Thought for the Day
The BBC has issued an apology and made retrospective edits to a segment of Radio 4’s Thought for the Day following controversy over comments made by Krish Kandiah, head of the Sanctuary Foundation. Kandiah had described remarks by Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, about asylum seekers as “xenophobia.”
The theologian’s critical language led to a strong reaction from Jenrick, prompting the BBC to review the content. The Corporation acknowledged that some of Kandiah’s wording was inappropriate for the faith-based programme and said it removed certain parts of his comments from the version available online.
The BBC emphasised that Thought for the Day aims to maintain respectful discourse consistent with its religious focus, and that the changes were made to align with these standards.