BBC’s anti-Leave bias ‘whitewash’

THE BBC was accused of a whitewash last night after it rejected claims of anti-Brexit bias out of hand.

In a dismissive letter to MPs, director of news James Harding insisted the Corporation was ‘impartial’ over Brexit.

A cross-party group of MPs wrote to the BBC last month to complain that its EU coverage had become biased against Brexit after last year’s referendum.

They cited analysis of BBC Radio 4 last year suggesting listeners were two-anda-half times more likely to hear a pro-EU voice than a pro-Brexit one. But Mr Harding rejected the claim, saying it was the BBC’s job not to be ‘pushed or pulled by one political interest or another’.

BBC chairman Sir David Clementi rejected the idea of even meeting MPs to discuss the issue. Sir David said the analysis was ‘not useful’ as it ‘does not distinguish the many occasions on which an aspect of the EU is being covered from discussion of EU membership itself’.

He also mocked the MPs, led by Labour’s Kate Hoey, Tory Philip Davies and the DUP’s Ian Paisley Jr, saying the only reason to issue new guidelines would be in the case of a second poll. He added: ‘I do not believe you and your colleagues are arguing for a second referendum.’

Mr Paisley said MPs would continue to press the Corporation over its stance.

He said: ‘It’s a whitewash. This just clears the way for the BBC to carry on with their one-sided doom-laden reporting – with all the good news coming “despite Brexit”.’

Some ministers are also frustrated by the tone of the BBC’s Brexit coverage.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has written to the BBC complaining it had chosen not to report on ‘positive economic’ figures. He said: ‘I cannot recall a single time in recent times when I have seen good economic news that the BBC did not describe as “despite Brexit”.’

Earlier last month Mr Fox said: ‘It does appear that some elements of our media would rather see Britain fail than see Brexit succeed.’