Minister slams News Quiz as 'completely biased'
Backlash as Huw Merriman complains about 'anti-Tory diatribe'
Government minister Huw Merriman has slated Radio 4’s News Quiz as ‘completely biased’.
The politician took a break from his job overseeing Britain’s railways and HS2 to accuse the programme of launching a ’10-minute diatribe’ against the Tories.
Speaking to Kay Burley on Sky News, he complained: ‘For 10 minutes all I heard was – and it wasn’t satirical – it was just a diatribe against Conservatives. Not the government. And I did listen to that and think "for goodness sake where is the balance in that?"
‘So yes, I’m afraid to say despite the fact I’ve always been a big supporter of the BBC, that struck me as completely biased.’
Is the #BBC biased?
— Kay Burley (@KayBurley) January 23, 2024
Govt minister @HuwMerriman says it is
We ask for some examples#KayBurley PO pic.twitter.com/4ETcYgYnxB
Host Andy Zaltzman and panellists Lucy Porter, Robin Morgan, Tadiwa Mahlunge, and Ayesha Hazarika spent much of Friday’s programme discussing the biggest domestic story of the week – the threatened Tory rebellion against Rishi Sunak’s plan to send migrants to Rwanda, which largely failed to materialise.
Shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire said: ‘The government spending another day undermining the BBC, this time for supposed bias in a satirical news quiz, is laughable.
‘Is this the Tories for the next few months? Is this really all they have to offer working people? Scraping the barrel.’
During his Sky News interview, Mr Merriman also launched an broadside against former Art Attack Neil Buchanan, complaining about his biased reporting on Universal Credit.
Neil Buchanan has never reported on Universal Credit, instead preferring to focus on his job as a painter and photographer.
The minister had apparently confused him with the BBC’s social affairs correspondent Michael Buchanan.
His comments came as the beleaguered Tories have tried to turn the spotlight on to the BBC, with Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer claiming there were ‘perceptions of bias’ in the Corporation.
Mr Merriman was asked to give examples, and The News Quiz is what he came up with.
Hugo Rifkind, a regular on the programme, said: ‘This is feeble. I remember getting loads of complaints from Corbynites about The News Quiz back in the day. But I don't recall Corbyn himself or Labour ever being so desperate as to give a toss.’
Satirist Jonathan Pie added: ‘Imagine a topical comedy news quiz spending a lot of air time criticising the party which has been in power for over 13 years. Madness. This has to stop!’
And former England rugby player Brian Moore tweeted: "The News Quiz is the only example that two Tory Ministers have been able to name in their allegations of BBC bias. They've had two days to look at this and a satirical comedy radio excerpt is the best they can come up with. Pitiful.’
Debbonaire previously criticised Frazer’s initial remarks, writing on social media: ‘Just the latest in a long line of secretaries of state for culture wars. Attacking and undermining one of our greatest institutions at every chance they get."’
A BBC spokesman said: '‘Radio 4 comedy has a long history of commissioning programmes which make jokes about politicians and political views across the spectrum, and we aim to feature a range of comic voices and viewpoints.’
Published: 23 Jan 2024
