Post by Teddy Bear on Dec 6, 2014 20:12:31 GMT
The BBC anyway want Labour to win the next elections, as they always do. The fact that the Tories are currently equating it to a fear of losing the licence fee unless Labour gets in could be an indication that this is what the Tories intend - or at least threatening.
Time will tell, but in the absence of any real conviction exhibited by them, I believe they are just using it to get the BBC more on their side, in which case they will continue with TVL.
Time will tell, but in the absence of any real conviction exhibited by them, I believe they are just using it to get the BBC more on their side, in which case they will continue with TVL.
BBC wants Labour to win General Election, Tory MPs claim
Tory MPs claim that the BBC's coverage of government policies is biased because it fears that a future Conservative government will cut the licence fee
By Steven Swinford
The BBC wants Labour to win the General Election because it is in a “fight to the death” over the future of the licence fee, Conservative MPs have claimed.
David Cameron and George Osborne earlier this week launched an unprecedented attack on the corporation’s coverage of the Autumn Statement, describing it as “nonsense” and “hyperbolic”.
One senior Tory MP suggested that the BBC coverage is influenced by concerns that a future Conservative government will use the Royal Charter review to cut the licence fee in 2016.
He claimed that the corporation believes that it will be “business as usual” if the Labour Party wins the election and that the £145.50 payment will be maintained.
The Conservatives fear that the BBC’s coverage could tip the balance in Labour’s favour in the run up to the General Election
The BBC has strenuously denied accusations of bias and insisted its coverage is impartial. The corporation said that it is braced for further criticism from all parties in the run up to the General Election.
John Humphrys, the BBC Radio 4 Today presenter who interviewed the Mr Osborne the day after the Autumn Statement, went further and accused the Chancellor and the Prime Minister losing their “sense of humour” in the run up to the election.
Andrew Bridgen, a conservative back-bencher, said: "They [the BBC] are in a fight to the death over the future of the licence fee. They know that if Labour comes along it's business as usual but if the Tories come in the licence fee will be cut or abolished.
"This is going to be a very tight election now and the corporation's lack of balance could tip the balance in Labour's favour. The BBC is in a privileged position as a national broadcaster funded by the licence fee, and it should recognise that."
Earlier this year Sajid Javid, the conservative Culture Secretary, suggested that the BBC licence fee could be cut and said that “nothing should be ruled out” when it is reviewed in the Royal Charter negotiations.
Grant Shapps, the Conservative Party chairman, has previously suggested that the corporation could be stripped of its exclusive right to the £3.6billion from the licence fee.
Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne criticised a broadcast by BBC Radio 4’s Today programme which compared forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility to a “book of doom”.
Norman Smith, the BBC’s assistant political editor, suggested that Britain was heading back to the time of George Orwell’s The Road to Wigan Pier.
Mr Osborne said that the comparison with Orwell’s Britain was “nonsense”, adding: “I would have thought the BBC would have learnt from the last four years that its totally hyperbolic coverage of spending cuts has not been matched by what has actually happened.”
Mr Smith and Nick Robinson, the BBC’s Political Editor, have not tweeted since the row erupted. The BBC insisted that they had not been reprimanded.
A BBC source said: "We are satisfied with our coverage. It [the criticism] is only going to intensify as we get close to the election. We are braced for that."
Mr Humphrys, the Today presenter, claimed that the analysis by his colleague Mr Smith was “obviously a joke”. He told the Guardian: “Politicians tend to lose their sense of humour the closer it gets to a General Election.”
Greg Dyke, the former director-general of the BBC, defended the corporation’s coverage. He said: “It is not unusual for the government of the day to start attacking the BBC in the run up to the election. I don’t think the public take any notice.”
Tory MPs claim that the BBC's coverage of government policies is biased because it fears that a future Conservative government will cut the licence fee
By Steven Swinford
The BBC wants Labour to win the General Election because it is in a “fight to the death” over the future of the licence fee, Conservative MPs have claimed.
David Cameron and George Osborne earlier this week launched an unprecedented attack on the corporation’s coverage of the Autumn Statement, describing it as “nonsense” and “hyperbolic”.
One senior Tory MP suggested that the BBC coverage is influenced by concerns that a future Conservative government will use the Royal Charter review to cut the licence fee in 2016.
He claimed that the corporation believes that it will be “business as usual” if the Labour Party wins the election and that the £145.50 payment will be maintained.
The Conservatives fear that the BBC’s coverage could tip the balance in Labour’s favour in the run up to the General Election
The BBC has strenuously denied accusations of bias and insisted its coverage is impartial. The corporation said that it is braced for further criticism from all parties in the run up to the General Election.
John Humphrys, the BBC Radio 4 Today presenter who interviewed the Mr Osborne the day after the Autumn Statement, went further and accused the Chancellor and the Prime Minister losing their “sense of humour” in the run up to the election.
Andrew Bridgen, a conservative back-bencher, said: "They [the BBC] are in a fight to the death over the future of the licence fee. They know that if Labour comes along it's business as usual but if the Tories come in the licence fee will be cut or abolished.
"This is going to be a very tight election now and the corporation's lack of balance could tip the balance in Labour's favour. The BBC is in a privileged position as a national broadcaster funded by the licence fee, and it should recognise that."
Earlier this year Sajid Javid, the conservative Culture Secretary, suggested that the BBC licence fee could be cut and said that “nothing should be ruled out” when it is reviewed in the Royal Charter negotiations.
Grant Shapps, the Conservative Party chairman, has previously suggested that the corporation could be stripped of its exclusive right to the £3.6billion from the licence fee.
Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne criticised a broadcast by BBC Radio 4’s Today programme which compared forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility to a “book of doom”.
Norman Smith, the BBC’s assistant political editor, suggested that Britain was heading back to the time of George Orwell’s The Road to Wigan Pier.
Mr Osborne said that the comparison with Orwell’s Britain was “nonsense”, adding: “I would have thought the BBC would have learnt from the last four years that its totally hyperbolic coverage of spending cuts has not been matched by what has actually happened.”
Mr Smith and Nick Robinson, the BBC’s Political Editor, have not tweeted since the row erupted. The BBC insisted that they had not been reprimanded.
A BBC source said: "We are satisfied with our coverage. It [the criticism] is only going to intensify as we get close to the election. We are braced for that."
Mr Humphrys, the Today presenter, claimed that the analysis by his colleague Mr Smith was “obviously a joke”. He told the Guardian: “Politicians tend to lose their sense of humour the closer it gets to a General Election.”
Greg Dyke, the former director-general of the BBC, defended the corporation’s coverage. He said: “It is not unusual for the government of the day to start attacking the BBC in the run up to the election. I don’t think the public take any notice.”