Samantha Morton’s fury at BBC’s Gaza ban

Will Director-General Mark Thompson's decision not to broadcast an emergency appeal to help raise money for Gaza lead to an exit of talent from the BBC?  The Golden Globe-winning actress Samantha Morton (pictured), speaking at a fundraising event on Sunday night on behalf of the British aid agency Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), said: "I'm shocked and appalled. I've worked for the BBC since I was a small child. As a public service they've got it very wrong. I will never work for the BBC again unless they change their mind."

She went on: "It's very, very wrong. It's not a political message. It's about raising money for children who are dying. I'm proud to have worked for the BBC; I'm proud to be British; I'm proud we even have the BBC. But I need them to explain this decision. I reserve the right never to work for that company again if I feel that I'm too embarrassed to support them or earn money from them."

Others at the MAP event included the actresses Juliet Stevenson, Julia Sawalha, as well as Yusuf Islam, formerly known as the singer Cat Stevens, although none of them spoke publicly about the Beeb's decision.

The Director-General today defended his ruling not to show the appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee, insisting it was not a "mad" one-off decision but necessary to maintain the impartiality of the Corporation.

But John Humphrys, the chief inquisitor on BBC Radio's Today programme, felt this reasoning was "immensely patronising". Speaking to the Evening Standard, he said that listeners and viewers were easily capable of distinguishing between a charity appeal and a political message, pointing out that the BBC was also being "slightly hypocritical" by highlighting the row over the appeal on its news programmes, and on a link on its website, but still not broadcasting it. ·