BBC caught holding onto news to aid the Government?

[Walt Zingmatilder]

The BBC knew about the resignation of a labour shadow minister but hung onto the news until just before PMQ when it helped the Prime minister.

Source: The Media Programme Radio 4

[jeremyp]

So the BBC exposed itself. Hmm.

[Hope]

The BBC knew about the resignation of a labour shadow minister but hung onto the news until just before PMQ when it helped the Prime minister.

Source: The Media Programme Radio 4

Wrong, OSB.  They knew about the minister's plan to resign, and if anything hastened it so that it occurred just before PMQs.   How different is this to the media announcing policy and other things at the Government's behest, before they are officially announced in Parliament or in speeches?

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Wrong, OSB.  They knew about the minister's plan to resign, and if anything hastened it so that it occurred just before PMQs.   How different is this to the media announcing policy and other things at the Government's behest, before they are officially announced in Parliament or in speeches?

ApparentlyKeunsberg knew hours before PMQ. If she had been a committed journalist for the public benefit It should have been reported the moment she had it. She kept it under wraps until it could do most damage to labour. I'm afraid it looks like yet another partisan move by BBC personnel.

[Owlswing]

ApparentlyKeunsberg knew hours before PMQ. If she had been a committed journalist for the public benefit It should have been reported the moment she had it. She kept it under wraps until it could do most damage to labour. I'm afraid it looks like yet another partisan move by BBC personnel.

She did no more damage to Labour than Communist Comrade Corbyn as his Red Accolytes in Parliament and the Unions have already done!

[ProfessorDavey]

I see the BBC are getting a load of flack over the line-up for last night's Question Time, which is supposed to have a broad balance across the left-right spectrum.

Last night's panel included

Tory minister Nick Bowles (right wing)
A leading member of UKIP; Patrick O'Flynn (right wing)
Veteran right wing newspaper editor Kelvin McKenzie (right wing)
Times/Sunday Times newspaper columnist Camilla Long (right wing)

And err ...
Labour shadow minister Cat Smith (left wing)

Not very balanced me thinks.

[Hope]

I see the BBC are getting a load of flack over the line-up for last night's Question Time, which is supposed to have a broad balance across the left-right spectrum.

Last night's panel included

Tory minister Nick Bowles (right wing)
A leading member of UKIP; Patrick O'Flynn (right wing)
Veteran right wing newspaper editor Kelvin McKenzie (right wing)
Times/Sunday Times newspaper columnist Camilla Long (right wing)

And err ...
Labour shadow minister Cat Smith (left wing)

Not very balanced me thinks.

Is the balance meant to be 'left-right' or between different attitudes overall?  For instance, despite the opinions of some Tory (and Labour) MPs agin Europe, I wouldn't say that Farage and the Tory/Labour parties can be equated.

[Hope]

ApparentlyKeunsberg knew hours before PMQ. If she had been a committed journalist for the public benefit It should have been reported the moment she had it. She kept it under wraps until it could do most damage to labour. I'm afraid it looks like yet another partisan move by BBC personnel.

Sorry OS, having spoken to the shadow minister concerned, (he's the MP for the neighbouring constituency to mine and I know himn personally) he understands that he declared his resignation on the programme, whereas he hadn't been sure whether to announce it earlier than that or, possibly, later in the day.

Whether he should have agreed to announce when he did is open to debate, but no-one really seems to be arguing on that issue.

[ProfessorDavey]

Is the balance meant to be 'left-right' or between different attitudes overall?  For instance, despite the opinions of some Tory (and Labour) MPs agin Europe, I wouldn't say that Farage and the Tory/Labour parties can be equated.

It is supposed to be broadly politically balanced.

Now you can never ensure that on every issue - you may get a panel that all agree on a non controversial matter and it would be non-sense (if not impossible) to achieve this with a single panel on every topic that might come up.

So usually this is achieved through broadly balancing across the classic political spectrum - and that's often achieved via the non politicians, particularly if the politicians on show tend toward one end (e.g. Labour and SNP or Tory and UKIP) - so it is bizarre on a night when there was a two to one bias in the politicians towards the right, that both of the non politicians were also on the right of the political spectrum. Surely they could have balanced with someone like Owen Jones rather than one of Kelvin Kelvin McKenzie or Camilla Long.

[Hope]

So usually this is achieved through broadly balancing across the classic political spectrum - and that's often achieved via the non politicians, particularly if the politicians on show tend toward one end (e.g. Labour and SNP or Tory and UKIP) - so it is bizarre on a night when there was a two to one bias in the politicians towards the right, that both of the non politicians were also on the right of the political spectrum. Surely they could have balanced with someone like Owen Jones rather than one of Kelvin Kelvin McKenzie or Camilla Long.

I didn't watch - had another commitment - but were the questions mostly on the EU, totally devoid of the EU, ... ?  I suppose it also depends on the questions being asked.  After all, one could probably argue that Labour and Tory are predominantly in favour of staying in europe, whilst Farage is agin it.  Not sure of the views of the other two on Europe.

All that said, the BBC seems to have shot itself in the foot a bit here.

[ProfessorDavey]

I didn't watch - had another commitment - but were the questions mostly on the EU, totally devoid of the EU, ... ?  I suppose it also depends on the questions being asked.  After all, one could probably argue that Labour and Tory are predominantly in favour of staying in europe, whilst Farage is agin it.  Not sure of the views of the other two on Europe.

All that said, the BBC seems to have shot itself in the foot a bit here.

I only saw the beginning - which involved a question on the doctor's strike.

No idea whether there was a question on Europe, but if there were there was a UKIPer and also Kelvin McKenzie. But as I mentioned previously balance cannot be achieved on every single question (that would make the whole process rather pointless) - but it can be (and is supposed to be) on a broad political spectrum basis.