London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 03, 2025

BBC incurs wrath of Brexiteer viewers over EU divorce deal coverage

BBC incurs wrath of Brexiteer viewers over EU divorce deal coverage

With Britain and the EU at last agreeing post-Brexit trade terms, not everyone is in as celebratory a mood as Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Brexiteers hounded the BBC for its “spurious and biased” coverage of the deal.

“We have taken back control of laws and our destiny,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared on Christmas Eve, moments after signing a long-awaited trade deal with the European Union. The deal comes after 11 months of negotiation, which began in January when Britain formally left the EU and entered a transition period out of its 47-year membership of the 27-nation bloc.

As Johnson and his supporters celebrated, the BBC brought on a spectrum of sceptics to pick the deal apart. Among them were Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey, who called the agreement “a pretty poor deal for our economy,” and European business owners who fretted over new customs rules.


Brexiteers hammered the BBC, claiming the taxpayer-funded broadcaster was interviewing “every man and his dog who could be against Brexit and the deal just done.”






Others issued a familiar refrain, calling for the scrapping of the £157.50 yearly licence fee that keeps the BBC afloat.



Even before the deal was agreed, Brexit supporters bashed the broadcaster for its supposed “pro-EU, anti-British agenda.”



BBC, however, did interview Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage among others. He told the network that the deal wasn’t quite the clean slate he wanted, but left the UK “a lot better off than we were five years ago.”

Of course, one pro-Brexit interview will do little to reassure Conservatives and right-wingers. Accusations of anti-Brexit and liberalbias have been levelled at the BBC for years now, and not just at its news team. Research earlier this year found that three-quarters of its comedy slots were filled by anti-Brexit, left-leaning comedians.

Against this background, new director Tim Davie has vowed to restore the BBC’s once-famed objectivity. How accurately his network’s Brexit coverage in the coming days will reflect that pledge is unclear, but the BBC’s journalists, thanks to Davie’s new rules, will at least be forbidden from “virtue signalling” on social media about the deal.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×