Patten Refuses to be Quizzed by MPs on BBC EU Bias

[Teddy Bear]

Fat Patten is refusing to be questioned by MPs about how the BBC is covering issues to do with Europe. Patten claims that because he is a peer that he cannot be forced to attend.

Which begs the question, why then he is put in the position that he has as head of the BBC Trust.

Everything about this man has reeked of self serving, pompous, not fit for purpose, fat, waste of space. I hope MPs will be that much more frustrated with BBC behaviour to now decide to put it out to pasture.

Fury as BBC chairman Lord Patten refuses to be quizzed by MPs about coverage of Europe

• John Bercow has criticised BBC chairman Lord Patten
  
• Speaker said no one should consider themselves above inspection
  
• BBC Trust say staff appeared before committee to deal with points

By Gerri Peev

John Bercow has criticised BBC chairman Lord Patten for refusing to be grilled by MPs about the broadcaster’s coverage of Europe.

The Commons Speaker insisted no one should consider themselves above parliamentary inspection, as he attacked Lord Patten’s refusal to answer questions from the European Scrutiny Committee.

MPs are furious that the Tory peer – and former European Commissioner – has three times turned down their request to discuss the subject of bias in the BBC’s coverage of the EU. Because he is a peer, Lord Patten cannot be forced to attend.

Labour MP Kate Hoey called for a debate on how Parliament could ensure Lord Patten is ‘not abusing his position as a Lord to avoid appearing before the committee’.

Mr Bercow waded in, saying: ‘Anybody who’s invited to appear before a committee of this House should do so. No one, however senior, should imagine him or herself above such scrutiny.’

Lord Patten, who earns £110,000 ‘base’ salary for a three to four day week, told MPs he would not discuss editorial decisions with them because this ‘is not consistent with the ideal of an independent Trust protecting the BBC from undue political interference’.

Bill Cash, the chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee, said that with the looming European elections and the upcoming in or out referendum on EU membership, it was vital that the BBC’s output was ‘impartial’.

‘I entirely endorse what the Speaker said. We are dealing with the fact that it is not possible to summon a member of the House of Lords to our committees but it is being proposed that this rule is modified,’ he told the Mail.

‘There are many situations in which a member of the House of Lords holds positions which involve taxpayers’ money and they are paid out of the public purse.’

A spokesman for the BBC Trust said BBC staff had appeared before the committee to deal with points on coverage.

He said: ‘In a letter to Bill Cash, Lord Patten set out why Trustees felt it would be inconsistent with the Trust’s role in protecting the BBC’s editorial independence for him to answer to the Committee for specific items and areas of BBC news coverage. BBC staff appeared before the committee to deal with these points.’

[Teddy Bear]

It appears that Patten has now been convinced to attend a grilling by MP's over pro-EU bias by the BBC.
Why the government should have ever put a Lord into the position of head of BBC Trust is strange, as he's been using this status to avoid appearing before them till now.
He claims:
The BBC Trust said: ‘The Chairman made clear that while he was willing to appear before the Committee, the BBC’s constitutional independence under its Charter must be protected and he will not be in a position to discuss BBC editorial decisions.’

Let's remind ourselves that he is supposed to represent the licence fee payer, and the BBC also has a duty under the charter to be fair, balanced and impartial, and not just independent. We know even by the BBC's own admission that they have been biased on this subject, and it's outrageous to have this clearly biased person himself representing the public.

BBC chief is forced to face MPs over claims of pro-EU bias in news coverage

• Lord Patten will be grilled over claims of bias in the BBC's coverage of EU
• Chairman will face members of Commons European Scrutiny Committee
• Patten is paid £110,000-a-year to work part-time at the BBC Trust

By Miles Goslett

The chairman of the BBC Trust has been forced into a humiliating climbdown over his repeated refusal to appear before a committee of MPs.

Lord Patten has spent months trying to avoid a grilling by members of the Commons European Scrutiny Committee over claims of bias in the BBC’s coverage of the EU.

But yesterday, Bill Cash, chairman of the committee that reviews UK-EU relations, announced that Lord Patten had given in.

The peer, a former European Commissioner, had three times refused the request, claiming it would be ‘inappropriate’ because it might interfere with the BBC’s ‘editorial independence’.

With European elections two months away and questions about the BBC’s perceived pro-EU bias high on the agenda, it is thought the session could take place within weeks.

Mr Cash said: ‘Chris Patten has accepted that he must take up our invitation. He went to considerable lengths to avoid appearing, which was quite extraordinary. We will not be treated in this manner.’

Lord Patten is paid £110,000-a-year to work part-time at the BBC Trust. His duties require him to represent the interests of licence fee payers.

He sparked fury last year by turning down three requests to give evidence to the committee. This led to suggestions that he was cynically exploiting a loophole that allows members of the Lords to veto appearances before Commons Select Committees.

Another committee member, Labour MP Kelvin Hopkins, said: ‘The reason Chris Patten was able to refuse us was because he is a member of the Lords.

'Peers can’t be commanded to appear in front of MPs. Had he just been Mr Patten we could have commanded him to appear but he felt as he was in the Lords he was able to refuse.’

It is understood Lord Patten’s stonewalling raised concerns among the chairmen of other Select Committees and is likely to lead to a change in parliamentary rules.

The BBC Trust said: ‘The Chairman made clear that while he was willing to appear before the Committee, the BBC’s constitutional independence under its Charter must be protected and he will not be in a position to discuss BBC editorial decisions.’