The BBC has been accused by several members of its Question Time audience – including one who works for an MP – of mockery and abuse toward guest Diane Abbott during the pre-show warm-up and of biased treatment during the programme itself:

The claim was corroborated by at least two other audience members:

The claims sparked widespread outrage among viewers and Labour supporters, who also pointed out angrily that false claims made during the show that Labour trails the Tories in the polls had been supported by presenter Fiona Bruce after Abbott had pointed out they were untrue.

Journalist Aaron Bastani summed up:

Let me get this straight. When Diane Abbott ‘gets the numbers wrong’ it means everyone can mock her and tell her she shouldn’t have a senior job.



When a white lady is wrong about the polls, and another one inaccurately says she’s right, nobody mentions a thing



🤔🤔🤔 #bbcqt — Aaron Bastani (@AaronBastani) January 18, 2019

Labour have led or been level with the Tories in all but one of the last eight polls, with most recent polls suggesting a current Labour lead of around three points, yet Bruce supported hard-right Isobel Oakeshott’s claim Labour trails:

Bloody hell. Fiona Bruce on #bbcqt: “You’re BEHIND, Diane. DEFINITELY.” This is false. pic.twitter.com/Ehzd9vS3bl — Jack Seale (@jackseale) January 18, 2019

Of course, the BBC presenting such inaccuracies as fact is not limited to one show, as Labour MP Jon Trickett pointed out:

I was told by an interviewer on the radio the other day that we are 6% behind. Totally false, invented. How are broadcasters able to get away with it? It feels like an editorial decision higher up the hierachy deliberately to mislead the public. https://t.co/UZq8MgC3kR — Jon Trickett (@jon_trickett) January 18, 2019

Multiply-corroborated testimony about the programme’s treatment of a guest needs to be treated seriously – especially when that guest is the most grotesquely abused politician in the UK.

However, in a statement to the SKWAWKBOX the BBC merely denied any wrongdoing:

We firmly reject claims that any of the Question Time team treated any of the panel unfairly before and during the recording last night. A BBC spokesperson



SKWAWKBOX comment:

It seems hopes that a new presenter would mean a new environment on Question Time, which has been constantly lambasted for right-wing bias, were ill-founded.



As Trickett observed, this looks more likely to be a question of editorial policy to mislead than one of mere presenter preferences.

The SKWAWKBOX needs your support. This blog is provided free of charge but depends on the generosity of its readers to be viable. If you can afford to, please click here to arrange a one-off or modest monthly donation via PayPal or here for a monthly donation via GoCardless. Thanks for your solidarity so this blog can keep bringing you information the Establishment would prefer you not to know about.

If you wish to reblog this post for non-commercial use, you are welcome to do so – see here for more.

Like this: Like Loading...