Post by Teddy Bear on Mar 13, 2014 23:23:17 GMT
Was Dimbleby told to go easy on Labour guest on Question Time? Leaked note reveals presenter was urged to ask more questions to Tory Lord Heseltine
By GERRI PEEV
The BBC’s Question Time has been accused of giving its Labour guests an easier ride than Coalition politicians.
A leaked briefing note for host David Dimbleby revealed he was urged to ask many more questions of former Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Heseltine, than the Labour work and pensions spokesman Rachel Reeves.
The note suggested Tory grandee Lord Heseltine be probed on trade sanctions against Russia, the Commons vote on Syria, David Cameron’s remarks in Opposition about Russian shoppers in Selfridges and Home Office minister James Brokenshire’s outburst on cheap migrant labour.
In contrast, Miss Reeves was simply to be asked two soft questions: whether her party supported a financial bail-out for Ukraine and whether Labour agreed with the Government’s handling of the crisis.
Lib Dem justice minister Simon Hughes was also lined up for more questions than Miss Reeves, including multiple queries about G8 talks and a Ukrainian bail-out.
The contradictory life of Comrade Bob: Loved by his members, loathed by the public. A bruiser with charm who lived in a council house while enjoying the high-life
The Mail has seen a copy of the questions and prompts to be sent to Mr Dimbleby. The email was seized on by the Conservatives who claimed it proved bias in favour of Labour by the Corporation.
Other guests on the show – screened last week – were the Times columnist David Aaronovitch, the Daily Mail’s Amanda Platell and former Kremlin adviser and Russian commentator Alexander Nekrassov, who later tweeted that there ‘should be an alternative question time … with an impartial presenter and all panellists given equal opportunities to speak’.
‘Now that the dust has settled I must say that last week’s was an appalling programme, biased and hijacked by liberals,’ he added.
Last night Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said: ‘This leaked document confirms what viewers could see in front of them – bias is endemic at the BBC.The viewing public, and licence fee payers, deserve better than this. But under the new leadership things seem to be getting worse not better.
‘The BBC should get a grip and hold a proper inquiry into bias into their flagship programmes
But a BBC spokesman said: ‘We are satisfied that the programme was fair, balanced and followed our guidelines on impartiality.
'Question Time goes to great lengths to ensure the panel and audience is balanced and reflects a wide range of political views.
'The programme is a free flowing discussion with David balancing moderating the debate whilst allowing it to naturally develop.’
Question Time, screened on Thursdays on BBC One, is made by independent production firm Mentorn.
It typically attracts 2.7million viewers although audience figures peaked at more than 7million when it controversially invited the BNP’s Nick Griffin on the show.
Radio 4 presenter John Humphrys admitted earlier this week that there is a ‘broadly liberal’ bias at the BBC.
But he put this down to the BBC hiring the ‘best and the brightest’ university graduates where left-wing views were common.
‘The BBC has tended over the years to be broadly liberal as opposed to broadly conservative for all sorts of perfectly understandable reasons,’ he told the Radio Times.
‘The sort of people we’ve recruited - the best and the brightest - tended to come from universities and backgrounds where they’re more likely to hold broadly liberal views than conservative.’
He also admitted the BBC was ‘grotesquely over managed’ and that its reporting on issues such as immigration and the European Union has not been sufficiently sceptical.
- Several points were listed for government but just two for Rachel Reeves
- Labour's work and pensions spokesman given soft options, claim Tories
- Row comes after R4 presenter Humphrys admitted BBC has a liberal bias
By GERRI PEEV
The BBC’s Question Time has been accused of giving its Labour guests an easier ride than Coalition politicians.
A leaked briefing note for host David Dimbleby revealed he was urged to ask many more questions of former Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Heseltine, than the Labour work and pensions spokesman Rachel Reeves.
The note suggested Tory grandee Lord Heseltine be probed on trade sanctions against Russia, the Commons vote on Syria, David Cameron’s remarks in Opposition about Russian shoppers in Selfridges and Home Office minister James Brokenshire’s outburst on cheap migrant labour.
In contrast, Miss Reeves was simply to be asked two soft questions: whether her party supported a financial bail-out for Ukraine and whether Labour agreed with the Government’s handling of the crisis.
Lib Dem justice minister Simon Hughes was also lined up for more questions than Miss Reeves, including multiple queries about G8 talks and a Ukrainian bail-out.
The contradictory life of Comrade Bob: Loved by his members, loathed by the public. A bruiser with charm who lived in a council house while enjoying the high-life
The Mail has seen a copy of the questions and prompts to be sent to Mr Dimbleby. The email was seized on by the Conservatives who claimed it proved bias in favour of Labour by the Corporation.
Other guests on the show – screened last week – were the Times columnist David Aaronovitch, the Daily Mail’s Amanda Platell and former Kremlin adviser and Russian commentator Alexander Nekrassov, who later tweeted that there ‘should be an alternative question time … with an impartial presenter and all panellists given equal opportunities to speak’.
‘Now that the dust has settled I must say that last week’s was an appalling programme, biased and hijacked by liberals,’ he added.
Last night Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said: ‘This leaked document confirms what viewers could see in front of them – bias is endemic at the BBC.The viewing public, and licence fee payers, deserve better than this. But under the new leadership things seem to be getting worse not better.
‘The BBC should get a grip and hold a proper inquiry into bias into their flagship programmes
But a BBC spokesman said: ‘We are satisfied that the programme was fair, balanced and followed our guidelines on impartiality.
'Question Time goes to great lengths to ensure the panel and audience is balanced and reflects a wide range of political views.
'The programme is a free flowing discussion with David balancing moderating the debate whilst allowing it to naturally develop.’
Question Time, screened on Thursdays on BBC One, is made by independent production firm Mentorn.
It typically attracts 2.7million viewers although audience figures peaked at more than 7million when it controversially invited the BNP’s Nick Griffin on the show.
Radio 4 presenter John Humphrys admitted earlier this week that there is a ‘broadly liberal’ bias at the BBC.
But he put this down to the BBC hiring the ‘best and the brightest’ university graduates where left-wing views were common.
‘The BBC has tended over the years to be broadly liberal as opposed to broadly conservative for all sorts of perfectly understandable reasons,’ he told the Radio Times.
‘The sort of people we’ve recruited - the best and the brightest - tended to come from universities and backgrounds where they’re more likely to hold broadly liberal views than conservative.’
He also admitted the BBC was ‘grotesquely over managed’ and that its reporting on issues such as immigration and the European Union has not been sufficiently sceptical.
THE THREE PANELLISTS... AND WHAT DAVID DIMBLEBY WAS BRIEFED
Tory grandee Lord Heseltine
Should we impose trade sanctions even if it hurts the City of London?
Did Ed Miliband give the green light to Putin by voting against action in Syria? Sajid Javid - Conservative Treasury Minister Sajid tweeting: 'Direct link between Miliband’s cynical vote against Syria motion & Russia’s actions on Ukraine'
Cameron said as Opposition Leader during the Georgian crisis in 2008: ‘Russian armies can’t march into other countries while Russian shoppers carry on marching into Selfridges.’
Not a new cold war? Russia is not communist any more
Brokenshire on immigration
Lib Dem justice minister Simon Hughes
'generic statements'
How much money would govt be willing to give Ukraine to bail it out?
Osborne said 'We are here ready to help just as soon as there is someone at the end of the telephone. We should be there with a chequebook to help the people of Ukraine rebuild their country.'
If he mentions suspension of trade talks & G8 - trade talks have been going nowhere and G8 thing is just a gesture
Labour work and pensions spokesman Rachel Reeves
Would Labour support UK govt giving Ukraine money to bail it out?
Agree with the government’s handling of this?
Tory grandee Lord Heseltine
Should we impose trade sanctions even if it hurts the City of London?
Did Ed Miliband give the green light to Putin by voting against action in Syria? Sajid Javid - Conservative Treasury Minister Sajid tweeting: 'Direct link between Miliband’s cynical vote against Syria motion & Russia’s actions on Ukraine'
Cameron said as Opposition Leader during the Georgian crisis in 2008: ‘Russian armies can’t march into other countries while Russian shoppers carry on marching into Selfridges.’
Not a new cold war? Russia is not communist any more
Brokenshire on immigration
Lib Dem justice minister Simon Hughes
'generic statements'
How much money would govt be willing to give Ukraine to bail it out?
Osborne said 'We are here ready to help just as soon as there is someone at the end of the telephone. We should be there with a chequebook to help the people of Ukraine rebuild their country.'
If he mentions suspension of trade talks & G8 - trade talks have been going nowhere and G8 thing is just a gesture
Labour work and pensions spokesman Rachel Reeves
Would Labour support UK govt giving Ukraine money to bail it out?
Agree with the government’s handling of this?
