Martin Bashir murdered Princess Diana! And the BBC took out the hit! Encouraged by Prince Philip. Who threatened to refuse payment of his license fee if they didn’t agree. Prince Harry took to drink and drugs. Prince William took to the Scottish hills to find solace and comfort from… the heather? Thistles? Never smoked either myself so I can’t really say.

But what did Martin Bashir really do that was so bad? Other than lying, cheating and a bit of mid-level forgery? Coercion. Bullying. Fabrication. Distortion. Other than that, what was his crime?

What he did was so wrong on pretty much every imaginable level. And yet what the BBC did was actually worse on an exponential scale. Because they knew, they had an inquiry, in which they managed to cover up everything and proclaim their and Bashir’s innocence, and were content to let it lie. Let their lies lie. Which they did for 25 years and then KA-BOOOM!!!!, it all kicks off once more. But this time with the benefit of hindsight. And into a different world, a generation later, in which ‘transparency’ is one of the (ok, nauseating, vile and over-used) catchphrases of our time.

The BBC is a journalistic organisation, first and foremost. In fact it would like to think it is the ‘best’ of class, in the whole, wide world. And best, in journalistic terms, means impartial (which it sometimes is), unbiased (hardly ever), totally neutral (ish) and biggest of all: TOTALLY TRUSTWORTHY.

Martin Bashir created a bunch of bank statements which allegedly showed payments made by the Royal Family to people or persons to keep tracks on Diana. He showed them to her brother, who thus encouraged the Princess to be interviewed. To tell ‘her side of the story’. Which she certainly did with her famous: ‘there were 3 of us in that marriage’ speech.

Did ‘bank statement-gate’ increase the much-loved Princess’s paranoia? To the point where it may have contributed to her terrible death? I don’t know.

But I do know that the BBC have been irreparably damaged by this. Because trust has been broken. The contract between broadcaster and punter has cracked.

Personally, as I watch the news every night, only and always on the BBC, I find it rather amusing as they report this massive story. Using the 3rd person. Even though they’re all BBC themselves. And their discomfort is our great tv.

Martin Bashir didn’t wish to be interviewed and I was playing tennis anyway.

Happy last day of a horrible football season Sunday

A xxxx