Television host Victoria Coren Mitchell has addressed the recent removal of the latest episode of Have I Got News For You from BBC iPlayer after mistakenly discussing Labour’s digital ID card proposals.
During the episode that aired on October 3, the Only Connect presenter led the show with guests Sheila Hancock, Miles Jupp, Ian Hislop, and Paul Merton. Victoria raised questions about who would benefit from Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to introduce the ID system, mentioning the company Multiverse as the chosen operator for the digital ID cards scheme, which she claimed was founded by Tony Blair’s son Euan.
However, fact-checking organization FullFact has refuted these claims, stating that the government has not selected a partner for the project. They clarified that Multiverse is an ‘upskilling company’ and not a software developer, and the government plans to manage the digital ID internally without outsourcing to external suppliers.
Victoria addressed her error on social media today, acknowledging the mistake and clarifying that the information she shared was incorrect. Despite circulating social media posts, there is no evidence linking Blair’s son or Multiverse to the digital ID scheme, as confirmed by FullFact.
Following the backlash from viewers, a BBC spokesperson acknowledged the inaccurate information presented on the show and confirmed the removal of the episode from BBC iPlayer for editing. Additionally, a representative from the Department of Science, Innovation, and Technology emphasized that no decisions have been made regarding the development of the digital ID app and that consultations will be held to ensure the best input for the scheme’s design and implementation.
