Heli No! BBC Staff Complain About Using Chopper To Go Trainspotting Amid UK Political Drama

EXCLUSIVE: On a day of high political drama in the UK, a uniquely British sub-plot has emerged: a quarrel over the BBC’s live coverage of a train journey taken by the country’s likely new prime minister.

Deadline hears that there is disquiet at the BBC over the corporation’s decision to broadcast helicopter footage of Andy Burnham‘s journey from Manchester to London.

The former Manchester mayor traveled to the capital to be sworn in as a member of Parliament on Monday, just hours after Keir Starmer announced his resignation.

After winning a by-election in Makerfield, Burnham is expected to be crowned as the next Labour leader, meaning he will pick up the keys to 10 Downing Street.

BBC News scrambled a helicopter — or “newscopter” as it was billed on screen — into the skies of London to capture Burnham’s arrival at Euston Station on the 10.54 AM train.

The editorial decision angered BBC employees, who questioned whether it was an appropriate use of the broadcaster’s resources at a time when it is cutting up to 2,000 jobs to save £500M ($660M).

Deadline understands that BBC insiders chuntered about the chopper on an all-staff call on Tuesday with director general Matt Brittin.

Indeed, one of the most upvoted questions for Brittin concerned the helicopter, but Deadline hears that it went unasked during the call, compounding staff grumpiness.

“At a time of cuts, when people face losing their job, putting a helicopter in the sky to film a train to Euston, I mean, come on,” one exasperated insider said. “It made people feel pretty grim.”

The BBC’s position is that the helicopter footage formed part of an existing contract with an external supplier, meaning it came at no extra cost to licence fee payers. Managers see the helicopter as an important newsgathering tool.

Comcast-owned Sky News also broadcast scenes of Burnham’s train journey, meaning the BBC was not alone in having aerial shots of a Class 390 train tearing into London Euston.

The BBC was approached for comment.