BBC delayed Brexit vote announcement, says David Dimbleby

[dutchman]

Former political presenter reveals corporation waited until completely sure of the result to announce it to the world



David Dimbleby has revealed the BBC held him back from making his momentous Brexit vote announcement — even after the result became patently clear — before he eventually decided at the last minute how to declare it.

The former political presenter said he had not prepared how he would reveal the historic news, despite knowing which way the referendum had gone for most of the night.

Dimbleby said the BBC had made detailed studies of how voting had to go in each constituency for leave to win, and it became obvious what the outcome was well before his bosses allowed it to be broadcast.

Eventually, Dimbleby annnounced: “Well at 20 minutes to five, we can now say the decision taken in 1975 by this country to join the Common Market has been reversed by this referendum to leave the EU, and that’s the result of this referendum which has been preceded by weeks and months of argument and dispute and all the rest of it.

“The British people have spoken and the answer is: ‘We’re out’.”

Speaking now about those famous words, he said: “The BBC, very fastidious about any results of a democratic vote, they wait until it’s absolutely impossible for it to be wrong.

“And they kept us waiting. We had this whole chart of the whole country, every constituency, showing which way it had to go if it was to be pro Remain or pro Leave, and it was perfectly obvious what was happening.

“But John Curtice [the BBC’s election specialist] wouldn’t allow us to say for certainty.

“And when it came I didn’t know what I was going to say really. I hadn’t thought about it.

“I kept talking from the thing to the director saying ‘Can’t we say it now, come on, it’s four in the morning for God’s sake, it’s perfectly obvious what’s happening?’

” ‘No, no, just hang on, just hang on’.”

But it was only shortly before he did get the go-ahead that Dimbleby came up with the words to describe the result.

He said in a special interview for the latest The News Agents podcast: “I suddenly thought ‘Oh boy, I better say something because this is a big moment’. I can’t just say ‘Oh well, the vote’s gone this way’.

“And I then suddenly remembered I’d done the ‘75 referendum, when we went into the Common Market as it was, and I just scribbled down a little note to myself and ‘that’s it, we’re out’. Because that’s what it was, we’re out, you know we’d voted to leave the EU.”

He said criticism that his announcement wording “produced a moment of finality” when it was just the start of the negotiating process was unjust.

Referencing the phrase used by Brexiteers at the time, he said “What Brexit means Brexit you mean”.

Told we weren’t out the next morning and maybe he’d used the wrong emphasis, he replied: “It’s a quibble - nah, nah, that’s rubbish.”

[dutchman]

“We can now say the decision taken in 1975 by this country to join the Common Market has been reversed by this referendum to leave the EU"

Nine years later and Britain still isn't 'out'!

[dutchman]

Nine years later and Britain still isn't 'out'!

Proof if it were needed:

Sunak hails ‘right deal for country’ as UK rejoins EU Horizon project



The UK is to return to the flagship Horizon Europe science research programme, Rishi Sunak has confirmed.

The prime minister said that from Thursday, British scientists can apply once again for grants from the £85bn programme, a move that will be welcomed with jubilation from the science community in the UK which was once one of the leading beneficiaries of the fund.

Sunak said: “We have worked with our EU partners to make sure that this is the right deal for the UK, unlocking unparalleled research opportunities, and also the right deal for British taxpayers.”

The deal was sealed after a call between Sunak and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, on Wednesday night.

According to a Downing Street statement, the UK will also rejoin the EU’s Copernicus Earth observation satellite programme, which has been crucial in monitoring this summer’s weather events, including wildfires across Europe.

The European Commission said the UK would contribute about £2.6bn on average a year to Horizon and Copernicus, with the UK’s contributions due to start from January 2024. Downing Street said this would also “provide breathing space to boost the participation of UK researchers in open calls for grants before we start paying into the programme”.

The deal is being seen as another reset moment for relations between the UK and the EU. Von der Leyen said: “The EU and UK are key strategic partners and allies, and today’s agreement proves that point. We will continue to be at the forefront of global science and research.”

Natalie Loiseau, French MEP, and one of the leaders of the UK-EU parliamentary partnership assembly said the deal was a sign of “a climate of restored trust”.

In a statement, the European Commission said: “Today’s agreement remains fully in line with the EU-UK trade and cooperation agreement (TCA). The UK will be required to contribute financially to the EU budget and is subject to all the safeguards of the TCA.”

He sidestepped a question about whether the Horizon agreement would lead to the UK collaborating more closely with the EU in other areas.

[dutchman]

Brexit being reversed?

Nigel Farage reacts to the UK returning to the EU Horizon Research Programme