No 10 pressured BBC to avoid using ‘lockdown’ term at height of Covid, leak reveals

BBC editors asked reporters to ‘turn up scepticism’ on Labour’s plan B call, message shows

Downing Street pressured top BBC news editors not to use the term “lockdown” at the height of Covid curbs, leaked messages have revealed.

BBC editors told journalists to avoid the term and also urged them to turn up “scepticism” about Labour’s call for plan B measures, according to the reported emails and WhatsApp messages.

It comes as the BBC comes under pressure over the Gary Lineker impartiality row, as it attempts to draw up new social media guidelines and avoid bias claims.