The shadow lack of culture secretary, the vile and odious rascal Jeremy Hunt, said yesterday that the BBC should 'recruit more Tories' to its news division in order to counter an alleged 'innate liberal bias.' These comments ('I wish they would go and actively look for some Conservatives to be part of their news gathering team'), if accurately reported (initially by the Guardian and then by other media outlets), might be the single most obscene example of attempted political interference in the area of broadcasting yet seen, certainly for a very long time, and so brazenly. 
The BBC is not - contrary to opinions expressed in the Daily Mail - a state-sponsored propaganda machine like Pravda. It is, by contrast, an independent broadcasting entity - unique and hugely respected the world over for its independence from political interference. To hear a potential member of a future government speaking about it in such openly hostile terms is both depressing and dangerous. The suggestion that anyone should be employed, or denied employment, in any chosen field because of their political affiliations is, quite simply, an outrage. And, quite possibly, illegal too. If anyone was under any doubts, previously, as to what a grim future the BBC potentially faces when the Tories win in the next election, this single comment should clear up any potential misunderstanding. In response, the BBC said that it would never recruit people based on their politics and the lack of culture secretary, the vile and odious rascal Bradshaw, described Hunt's statement as 'unacceptable political interference,' just about the first thing that Ben Bradshaw has said in several years that this blogger has actually agreed with. A BBC spokeswoman said: 'Clearly we do not recruit people on the basis of their political views. We have not, and would not, recruit people in this way. 
Accuracy and impartiality are at the heart of BBC News.' This blog, unreservedly, calls upon David Cameron to completely disassociate himself and his party with this quite shameful piece of attempted political interference and to slap down the vile and odious rascal Hunt, publicly, for his comments. And, upon the BBC to reject by any means necessary - up to and including any legal avenues which may be open to them - any subsequents attempt to foist wholly inappropriate restrictions on them by career politicians (of any party) with a - sick - agenda. This subject is too important to become tomorrow's fish and chip paper - it goes to the very heart of whether the media truly is independent of political interference or not.
The BBC is not - contrary to opinions expressed in the Daily Mail - a state-sponsored propaganda machine like Pravda. It is, by contrast, an independent broadcasting entity - unique and hugely respected the world over for its independence from political interference. To hear a potential member of a future government speaking about it in such openly hostile terms is both depressing and dangerous. The suggestion that anyone should be employed, or denied employment, in any chosen field because of their political affiliations is, quite simply, an outrage. And, quite possibly, illegal too. If anyone was under any doubts, previously, as to what a grim future the BBC potentially faces when the Tories win in the next election, this single comment should clear up any potential misunderstanding. In response, the BBC said that it would never recruit people based on their politics and the lack of culture secretary, the vile and odious rascal Bradshaw, described Hunt's statement as 'unacceptable political interference,' just about the first thing that Ben Bradshaw has said in several years that this blogger has actually agreed with. A BBC spokeswoman said: 'Clearly we do not recruit people on the basis of their political views. We have not, and would not, recruit people in this way. 
Accuracy and impartiality are at the heart of BBC News.' This blog, unreservedly, calls upon David Cameron to completely disassociate himself and his party with this quite shameful piece of attempted political interference and to slap down the vile and odious rascal Hunt, publicly, for his comments. And, upon the BBC to reject by any means necessary - up to and including any legal avenues which may be open to them - any subsequents attempt to foist wholly inappropriate restrictions on them by career politicians (of any party) with a - sick - agenda. This subject is too important to become tomorrow's fish and chip paper - it goes to the very heart of whether the media truly is independent of political interference or not. 
