Willow904 wrote:I just don't agree with you on this. Doughty isn't the important element for me. PMQs, a travesty though it may be, is part of our democratic tradition. An impartial public broadcaster shouldn't be interferring to the advantage of one side over the other in a parliamentary debate. If Cameron only knew of Doughty's resignation when he resigned or if he found out from Doughty himself, then you're probably right, it's not an infringement but if the BBC convinced Doughty to delay his resignation whilst leaking it to No 10.......Tubby Isaacs wrote:I don't think it's important really whether the BBC set it up at a time for maximum impact.Willow904 wrote: Doughty might have wanted to screw Corbyn over by resigning just as PMQs started, but that doesn't make it acceptable for the BBC to help him. Doughty didn't have a duty to be impartial, but the Daily Politics team did. How did Cameron know about the resignation before Corbyn, that's what the complaint hinges on. If it is ever proven that Cameron was tipped off while Corbyn was deliberately kept in the dark, I think the BBC could and should be in a lot of trouble. If the BBC hadn't interferred Doughty's resignation would have panned out differently and had a different impact. Personally I think it's an easier infringement to prove than bias in opinion and commentary which is subjective and hard to pin down
Fact is a Labour politician went along with it. Politicians who want to hurt their own side do this. I don't think most people will care about the distinction.
Making a fuss about it is keeping "Labour Shadow Cabinet Divisions Shambles Corbyn" in the news. The last thing anybody should want.
It doesn't have to be bias that you're alleging- even though I just said that it did. There's a trivialization of politics news point. People are interested in stuff like floods more than anonymous briefings. Say that there's too much with everybody, with the reporting of the government too. Lots of Tories will agree.
I think there's bias too, and I don't know what you do about that.
For me, keeping the pressure on the BBC is more helpful than not to Labour. Everyone's been talking about the BBC's role in Doughty's resignation rather than the resignation itself. From that point of view the stunt backfired. Why sit back and let the BBC turn the conversation back to Labour when you can keep the focus on them and their Tory pals?
Agree....
I think Kuenssberg is feeling the heat as well...her Twitter feed is now under continual reference to her bias and I would hope her bosses are now looking at if she is damaged goods
She is bloody awful and an unpleasant character as well
Mind you her bosses are all Tories