Did BBC Collude With Cameron Over Health And Safety Monster Comments?

Despite the headlines on the BBC’s news website, David Cameron did not volunteer his comments about the effects on businesses of the ‘Health & Safety Monster’, but was prompted by a BBC News journalist who asked him what he was going to do about the burden of health & safety on businesses.

It must be remembered that the event was NOT a media event and was NOT a vehicle to announce policy.

David Cameron was attending one of his monthly chats entitled PM Direct with business at Maidenhead this morning, during which everything but health & safety was discussed. Until, that is, right near the end, a BBC reporter prompted him into speaking about health and safety.

In answer to the reporter’s question, and claiming that businesses have complained that they settle cases in which an aggrieved employee has a weak complaint to avoid paying legal fees, Cameron said:

"What we are going to be doing is saying that, for claims up to £25,000, we are going to cap the fees that lawyers can earn from those claims.

I think that will take a lot of fear out of the health and safety monster and make sure that businesses feel they can get on, they can plan, they can invest, they can grow without feeling they are going to be strangled by red tape and health and safety regulation."

He continued:

"I don't think there is any one single way you can cut back the health and safety monster," Cameron added. "You have got to look at the quantity of rules, and we are cutting them back. You have got to look at the way they are enforced, and we are making sure that is more reasonable."

Unionsafety web editor Chris Ingram was watching the live feed on the BBC News website and following on twitter.

He told Unionsafety:

“ At 8.53 and prior to the live broadcast of David Cameron’s PM Direct event, Norman Smith the BBC News Channel chief political correspondent, tweeted “PM expected to unveil measures to ease compensation culture and health and safety burden on business.”

He explained further:

“ Watching the live feed which started after 9 am it was noticeable that none of the business leaders making up the audience mentioned health and safety as an issue, and neither did David Cameron!

It was almost at the end of the event that a BBC News journalist then asked the question about Cameron’s health & safety policy, implying he could not be trusted to deal with the burden of H&S regulation.

This gave Cameron the opportunity to slander health & safety legislation and procedures as ‘the health & safety monster’ striking fear into the hearts of businesses.”

Chris concluded:

“Given that the BBC's chief political correspondent Smith sent out his tweet before the start of the event in which David Cameron spoke, it clearly shows that he had discussions with Cameron or a briefing before the event, which may or may not have included comments to be made by Cameron attacking health & safety.

It is therefore interesting that despite Smith’s earlier tweet Cameron made no mention of health & safety right up to almost the end of the event. It begs the question, would Cameron have made his comments on health and safety anyway, did he forget to do so and was then prompted by the BBC reporter?

If the latter was the case, this indicates collusion by the BBC News department with the tory-led coalition that many are accusing them of, not just in relation to the reporting of health & safety, but with regard to all government policies.”

Those looking for the full transmission of the event will not find it on the BBC’s news website, but an edited version being used to highlight the health and safety attack. No other mention of what he said during the half hour event is mentioned or shown.

Twitter was shortly afterward to become live with accusations and concerns from followers of Unionsafety website, IOSH and other interested parties.

Commenting on Cameron’s reference to health and safety as being a ‘machine’ and a ‘monster’ IOSH said in its tweets:

"Labelling workplace health and safety as a monster is appalling and unhelpful. The problem identified by the Gov’s own reviews is not the law but rather exaggerated fear of being sued fed by aggressive marketing. Our aim is for a safer world of work for everyone. Perhaps consultation with professionals not professors may help the PM.”

Construction Safety tweeted:

“To improve health and safety perhaps the media may choose to promote good safety rather than ridicule something that saves lives. The concern is for those businesses who promote it to their workforce. What message does the PM give here to them?”

Whilst Unite USR and Unionsafety website follower Spidey (Ivan T) tweeted:

“H&S need not be expensive or restrictive. If companies got the basics right, then employees and the public would be safer. The politicians are looking only at looking after the interests of businesses. We need to use all our networks and promote campaigns like Life Savings, FACK, We Didn’t Vote to Die at Work and turn the tide.”

This whole news item has been constructed and prompted by the BBC News department and its journalist at the SME event in the view of many, in order to engineer public support for the slashing of health & safety regulation.

The fact that it took a BBC journalist prompt on the issue of H&S before Cameron mentioned it, is of some concern.

Source: BBC News website / Twitter / The Guardian
 

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