Boris Johnson attacks ‘Left-bias’ BBC

Boris Johnson was at war with the BBC today as he accused the corporation of being “statist, corporatist, defeatist, anti-business, Europhile and overwhelmingly biased to the Left”.

In an extraordinary attack, the Mayor said the next director-general of the BBC should be a “pro-business” Tory who “understands the depths of the problems this country faces”.

The BBC reacted angrily to his comments, with a spokesman saying the BBC “rejected” any allegations of bias and that “people with trenchant views” often find the BBC’s approach “uncomfortable”.

Mr Johnson, who has presented history documentaries on the BBC and appeared on comedy programmes including Have I Got News For You, used his column in The Daily Telegraph to speak out. Among the targets of his criticism was BBC London.

“I speak as one who has just fought a campaign in which I sometimes felt that my chief opponent was the local BBC news — the prevailing view of Beeb newsrooms is, with honourable exceptions, statist, corporatist, defeatist, anti-business, Europhile and, above all, overwhelmingly biased to the Left,” Mr Johnson wrote.

Mr Johnson said the next director-general must be someone who was “pro-business”: “We need someone who knows about the work ethic, and cutting costs. We need a Tory, and no mucking around. If we can’t change the Beeb, we can’t change the country.”

In his column, Mr Johnson attacked BBC arts editor Will Gompertz for saying that the ArcelorMittal Orbit, designed by artist Anish Kapoor, in the Olympic Park should be bigger and free. Mr Johnson wrote: “There you have everything that is wrong with the BBC and with this country ... The BBC is unlike any other media organisation in the free world, in that it levies billions from British households whether they want to watch it or not. No wonder its employees have an innocent belief that everything in life should be ‘free’.”

BBC radio presenter Paul Lewis took to Twitter following Mr Johnson’s comments. He wrote: “BBC left wing because ‘funded by taxpayers’ says Boris Johnson whose salary as London Mayor is paid by, errr ...” A BBC spokesman said: “BBC news is committed to impartiality and we reject Boris Johnson’s assertions of bias. Our approach means asking difficult questions of politicians, businesses and unions alike. People with trenchant views often find this process uncomfortable but our audience expects us to challenge those in power as well as those who seek it.”

The current BBC director-general, Mark Thompson, has said he will step down in the autumn.