Analysis: why I turned down Panorama’s interview request

This is how I responded to a request by BBC1’s Panorama for an interview with me for its programme on the ‘Westminster paedophile network’…

I often appear on television and radio in the UK and abroad to talk about – and face questions about – Exaro’s work.

I start from the default position of agreeing to such requests. I turn down requests if I have reason to believe that the programme concerned has no credibility or will not treat the subject properly, or if am simply too busy to do them.

Panorama has set out to “debunk” evidence of a ‘Westminster paedophile network’. The programme’s failure to approach the subject with an open mind is evident from its initial intention to have David Aaronovitch present it despite his already having repeatedly dismissed claims about VIP paedophiles as “conspiracy theory”.

I do not say that is fatal to your case. But it is a very poor start.

Now that you have finally set out the areas that you would want me to cover in an interview, it is clear in what direction the programme is heading. I can see why you were reluctant to be open about it with me previously.

Your letter betrays Panorama’s complete lack of objectivity in its approach to the subject. You say that you want to look at issues relating to the truth of the claims, yet you totally omit a crucial tranche of the available evidence.

A major aspect of Exaro’s work on the subject concerns claims by ex-police that as operations started to uncover evidence of child sex abuse by VIPs, senior officers shut them down improperly.

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