‘BBC is so free of bias even a Martian could see it’

Senior executive rejects image of broadcaster as ‘metropolitan, pro-remain and London-centric’

THE BBC is so free of metropolitan bias that a Martian would identify it as a beacon of impartiality, one of its senior executives has claimed.

Appearing before a committee of MPS, James Purnell rejected a suggestion that the corporation was perceived as having a “typical North London, metropolitan, pro-remain view of the world”.

“I just don’t recognise your characterisation. One of the things a Martian would see, looking at the BBC, is that this is an organisation for the whole UK. It’s probably the most Uk-wide organisation of any we have in this country and we have a very strong diversity of view,” said Mr Purnell, a former Labour minister and Islington councillor who is now the BBC’S director of radio and education.

He was responding to a question from Philip Davies, a Tory MP, who said the BBC’S London-centric agenda is “a million miles away from people’s views in Yorkshire and Norfolk and Lincolnshire”.

However, as Mr Purnell was insisting that the BBC was committed to representing all regions, the corporation came under fire for plans to cut regional current affairs programmes.

Staff on the 11 regional Inside Out shows have been told to stop filming for September’s series while a review is carried out into its future.

More than 100 well-known figures, including Sir Lenny Henry, Stephen Fry and Samira Ahmed, yesterday sent a letter to the director-general expressing concern that the Inside Out programme is under threat.

Mr Purnell appeared before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee, where he defended the BBC against accusations of bias and said news presenters do not let their personal views affect their work. “People who work at the BBC have got a whole range of views. You want people to come into the organisation who are engaged and have views – but when you come into the organisation you leave those views at the door,” he said.

The BBC has announced a review into presenters’ use of social media and whether it poses a threat to impartiality. It will be led by Richard Sambrook, a former BBC executive who has himself tweeted that Boris Johnson is a “post-truth” politician and “a man of zero integrity”.

Emily Maitlis, reprimanded by bosses for her Newsnight monologue about Dominic Cummings, is one of several presenters who make no secret of their political views on Twitter.

Mr Purnell suggested that they may have difficulty persuading stars to stop tweeting about politics. “It’s a huge part of their identity, and asking them to stop tweeting particular things is quite a big sacrifice in the same way it was for people of previous generations deciding not to go on marches,” he said.

Gary Lineker will be allowed to continue tweeting about politics. Mr Purnell said “different rules apply” to sports and entertainment presenters.

Yesterday the BBC upheld a complaint against Andrew Marr over him suggesting that the Government could have prevented the early release of Usman Khan, the London Bridge attacker.

“Under the Conservatives he was let out. This was a Conservative decision,” Marr said during an interview with the Prime Minister, who pointed out that the early release scheme was brought in by Labour.

‘People have a whole range of views … but when you come into the organisation you leave them at the door’