Viewers were left in little doubt about BBC bias after last night’s Question Time

BBCQT panel
Fréa Lockley


The make-up of the BBC‘s Question Time panel on 10 May left many viewers stunned. Along with work and pensions secretary Esther McVey, the panel included a former conservative politician from Spain, a campaign manager for a right-wing thinktank, and staunch Corbyn critic Chuka Umunna. And many felt the only voice of reason was rapper, poet and political activist Akala.

Stunned

Before the show went out, many took to Twitter to question the choice of panellists:

Viewers were concerned that, given the make-up of the panel, fair debate may be stifled:

Fair?

They had reason to be concerned.

In 2013, McVey defended the rise in use of food banks. She also said that benefits sanctions ‘teach’ job seekers to look for work seriously. And she cut the Disability Living Allowance, arguing that “bodies heal”.

Chloe Westley is campaign manager for the TaxPayers’ Alliance, a right-wing thinktank partly funded by “prominent supporters of the Conservative party”, reports the Guardian. Meanwhile, Alejandro Agag was formerly a conservative politician in Spain.

Representing the Labour Party was Umunna. The same Labour MP who recently called for an inquiry into Labour’s local election campaign, despite the fact that Labour secured more council seats than the Conservatives. A Labour MP who has continued to publicly criticise Corbyn and supports the values of Labour-right group Progress.

Many viewers took to Twitter to share their thoughts:

“The Incredible Bias of the BBC”

Craig Murray, former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, went a step further:

In his blog, Murray questioned:

Why is the BBC permitted, day after day after day, to pump out programming which actively promotes a political programme far to the right of where the British population actually stand? With the continual over-representation of nutty right wing groups like the Taxpayers’ Alliance… while left wing groups of much larger membership such as Stop the War are completely ignored.

Concerns about BBC bias are not new. But last night’s episode of Question Time tipped the balance even further. The star of the show was Akala. This straight-talking, eloquent rap artist was the only one to call out the right-wing bullshit. And, for many viewers, he was the best person on the show.

Get Involved!

– Join The Canary, so we can keep holding the powerful to account.

– Read and support other independent media outlets:

Media Diversified, Novara Media, Corporate Watch, Red Pepper, New Internationalist, Common Space, Media Lens, Bella Caledonia, Vox Political, Evolve Politics, Real Media, Reel News, STRIKE! magazine, The Bristol Cable, The Meteor, The Skwawkbox, Salford Star, The Ferret.

Featured image via screengrab

We need your help ...

The coronavirus pandemic is changing our world, fast. And we will do all we can to keep bringing you news and analysis throughout. But we are worried about maintaining enough income to pay our staff and minimal overheads.

Now, more than ever, we need a vibrant, independent media that holds the government to account and calls it out when it puts vested economic interests above human lives. We need a media that shows solidarity with the people most affected by the crisis – and one that can help to build a world based on collaboration and compassion.

We have been fighting against an establishment that is trying to shut us down. And like most independent media, we don’t have the deep pockets of investors to call on to bail us out.

Can you help by chipping in a few pounds each month?

The Canary Support us

Comments are closed

Related articles