Make experts on BBC news shows declare their politics, MPs urge
‘They come on the BBC and say everything happened because of Government incompetence’
ACADEMICS and experts who appear on BBC news programmes should be made to declare their political affiliations, MPs have said, as they accused the corporation of keeping audiences in the dark.
In the latest debate over BBC impartiality, Tory MPs said viewers and listeners were often unaware of contributors’ Left-wing leanings.
Tim Davie, the director-general, was challenged on the issue this week in relation to the Sage advisers who regularly appear as BBC guests.
Prof Susan Michie, who sits on a subgroup for the Government’s Sage advisory body, has been a member of the Communist Party for 40 years.
The “independent Sage” group of scientists, which has regularly criticised the Government on Covid, is run by a body that has Carole Cadwalladr, the activist journalist, as its founder.
Mark Harper, the former minister who leads the Covid Recovery Group of Conservative MPs, said: “It’s important that the public is well informed about who they are watching or listening to in the media so they can accurately weigh up the information presented.
“Where scientists, academics or others have expressed political views and these are relevant to the debate then it’s only right that viewers and listeners should be told. Otherwise, they’re in danger of being misled.”
Mr Davie faced questions over the issue when he appeared before the digital, culture, media and sport select committee this week. Steve Brine, a committee member and MP for Winchester, suggested that Radio 4’s Today programme and other shows make political affiliations clear.
“Should presenters sometimes – maybe even often – ask where guests stand politically? Not, clearly if they’re talking about the evacuation from Kabul, but other people who are policymakers,” Mr Brine said.
“Policy-makers used to be called MPs but, of course, MPs are now just part of policy-making in this country. Arguably, members of Sage – always speaking on the BBC, of course, in a personal capacity – make policy now more than many backbench and some frontbench MPs do. And they come on the BBC and say everything is happening because of Government incompetence and what the Government didn’t do. Wouldn’t it be great if, at the end of that interview, the presenter said, ‘can I just ask you where you stand politically? Who did you support at the last election?’ Wouldn’t that be interesting?”
Mr Davie said there was “no restriction in the line of questioning”.
But Mr Brine said: “Have you ever heard anyone ask that question at the end of an interview?” Mr Davie conceded that Mr Brine was making “a fair point around relevant context” but added: “I don’t particularly subscribe to the formula you’re talking about.”