Burnside fury at BBC's Molyneaux '˜companion' coverage

David Burnside said that Christopher Luke’s cryptic claims about the “love” between himself and the former Ulster Unionist leader should be treated as “fantasy” from a “Walter Mitty character”.

In a letter to the News Letter, the former South Antrim MP was withering about media coverage of the claims – in particular a 20-minute interview with Mr Luke which was the lead item on BBC Radio Ulster’s Talkback programme on Friday.

That item followed an interview with Mr Luke published in the Irish News that day.

In it, he spoke of his love for his “close companion” and the article included two photos of Mr Luke with his arm around a very elderly Lord Molyneaux.

The openly gay man declined to say how intimate they had become, saying “I don’t wish to talk about that.”

Mr Burnside is the latest senior unionist who knew both men to have since dismissed Mr Luke’s claims.

Mr Burnside, who has now returned to the world of corporate public relations in London, said that the handling of the interview by the BBC raised questions about the corporation’s editorial judgement.

He said: “Mr Luke has been around the fringes of the fringe of unionism on the mainland for 30 to 40 years.

“He was constantly bombarding unionist MPs like Jim Molyneaux, Martin Smyth, Roy Beggs, Willie Ross and me with letters, opinions and newsletters.

“He always seemed to have a Walter Mitty character.”

Mr Burnside said that Mr Luke seemed to have “fantasised into a close relationship with Jim Molyneaux which did not exist”.

He added: “The BBC is a tax payer funded public service broadcaster and showed poor editorial judgement in giving Mr Luke airtime to promote his claims.”

In his letter, Mr Burnside pointedly raised the issue of the BBC charter and copied the correspondence to Tory MP John Whittingdale, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, who has been critical of the national broadcaster.

Responding to Mr Burnside’s comments, the BBC said: “Our interviews are broadcast in the public interest and in a way which is consistent with our editorial guidelines. The BBC stands by its journalism.”

David Burnside letter: Those of us who really knew Molyneaux will not let his reputation be besmirched

Morning View: The Right Honourable James Molyneaux – war hero and distinguished unionist leader