Derry disability activist takes aim at Nolan Show

BBC Radio Ulster’s ‘The Nolan Show’ has come under fire for what have been described as “inaccurate claims” made about the Motability Scheme.

The scheme enables disabled people in receipt of certain disability benefits, their families and their carers to lease a car, scooter or powered wheelchair.

Several people, including Sinead Quinn, a disability activist from Derry leasing a Motability car, have lodged a complaint with the BBC about the content of The Nolan Show broadcast on November 5.

According to Ms Quinn the complaint has also been sent to Tim Davie, the corporation’s director-general, and Adam Smyth, the director of BBC NI.

Speaking to The Derry News, Ms Quinn said the entire debate was “set up on a false pretence”.

“Claims were made in the programme young people were accessing luxury cars via the Motability scheme, and there were no rules in place ensuring the cars were used for the benefit of the disabled person,” said Ms Quinn.

“These are inaccurate claims, made freely by the presenter, and easily debunked by ‘googling’ or going to the Motability website, which is something I’d expect Nolan and his team to have done before even deciding to cover the topic,” she added.

“Given the entire premise of the angle was manufactured from falsehoods, it leaves the listener wondering what BBC Radio Ulster’s agenda was with this piece and where it came from? Other than to sensationalise the issue further and vilify disabled people in the process, of course.

“The distorted portrayal of the issue by the media is causing distress and harm to disabled people on a daily basis and, as such, I would expect the BBC to have a rounded out discussion instead of focusing almost exclusively on luxury cars (only 6% of Motability leases in UK), fraud (0%, UK Govt stats) and 18/19 year olds in Motability leased BMWs & Mercs at night (0% due to those specific cars being unavailable to under 25s).

“The broadcast piece was also full of inaccuracies. As a result, there were multiple breaches of the editorial guidelines and I would argue the entire premise of the debate from the beginning, as a result of a decision to rely on inaccurate and imaginary scenarios instead of factual or evidenced information, breached the principle of impartiality.”.

Ms Quinn said one of the most “egregious falsehoods” made by the presenter on air was that people under 25 years of age could drive luxury cars like BMWs or Mercedes via the Motability Scheme.

She added: “This information is readily available on the Motability website. This was clearly a breach of editorial guidelines on accuracy, fairness and impartiality.

“Contrary to statements made by the presenter live on air, there is a rule that the car must be used for the benefit of the disabled person, again, information readily available on the Motability website. There is also a penalty attached to the rule. Again I consider this a breach of BBC editorial guidelines on accuracy, fairness and impartiality.

“Contrary to statements made by the presenter live on air, the lowest advance payment for a BMW or Mercedes on the scheme is six times the amount quoted, being £2,999, not £400/£500. Again, this information is readily available on the Motability Website. This is a further breach of editorial guidelines on accuracy, fairness and impartiality.

“The show could have focused on the great many people who can already no longer afford to lease a car that meets their needs under the scheme due to ever increasing Advance Payments,” said Ms Quinn.

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“The show could have focused on the great many people who would love to lease the electric cars being pushed at £0 Advance Payments but can’t due to the lack of driveways in social housing, for example and how governments will be unable to meet targets without addressing it.

“The show could have focused on how people who may end up completely excluded from the scheme will also be completely excluded from society due to the underfunded and underdeveloped public transport system we have here in NI.

“But instead a decision was made to incite the public to look a little closer at who is driving Motability vehicles in a society that already discriminates against disabled people but in particular those with invisible disabilities.

“Shame on the Nolan Show and BBC Radio Ulster.”

Contacted for comment by The Derry news about the complaint, a spokesperson for the BBC said: “We think that this was an important discussion about a topic that has been otherwise in the news over recent days.

“We explored its specifics and heard from people with different views and experiences.”