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Sue Woodward
Director of Broadcasting
Granada Television
Quay Street
Manchester M60 9EA
13 July 2000
Dear Susan Woodward,
The news that Neil Hamilton will be seeking leave to appeal over his failed libel action against Mohamed Fayed, and the circumstances that gave rise to this new legal action, have together finally compelled me to address Granada Television's political bias with regard to the Neil Hamilton affair.
For the last three years under your direction Granada Television has reported the events relating to the former MP in the most slanted way imaginable. You have been made aware on numerous occasions that Malcolm Keith-Hill and I have investigated Mohamed Fayed's/the Guardian's allegations against Neil Hamilton. You are aware that we clear Neil Hamilton of all essential charges, and instead conclude that he has been the victim of a criminal conspiracy involving the Guardian newspaper to pervert the course of justice.
The fact that some of the Guardian journalists we name as being involved have also worked for Granada Television, requires even more that you should discharge your obligations under the law to report news dispassionately. In this you have failed lamentably.
During the period that I worked under your editorial control as part of the Granada Tonight team, you never found cause to doubt my competence, yet you have censored all news of our investigation ruthlessly. Furthermore, Granada continues to ignore other events relating to Neil Hamilton, whilst showing favouritism towards Martin Bell, whose self-interested and invalid intervention during the general election led to the destruction of Neil Hamilton's career.
The BBC, with whom I enjoy no such connection, has broadcast news items about our investigation on five separate occasions.
You will find enclosed a complaint to the ITC, which sets out in detail how you have abdicated your duty under the Broadcasting Act, as set down by the ITC, for fair and impartial reporting of news.
Your sustained bias in this affair has shown that you are an unfit person to hold editorial control of broadcasting material and I therefore call on you to resign.
Yours sincerely,
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