London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025

BBC plagued by partisanship? Row over appointment of ‘left-wing’ editor continues to fuel debate about broadcaster’s impartiality

BBC plagued by partisanship? Row over appointment of ‘left-wing’ editor continues to fuel debate about broadcaster’s impartiality

A controversial new hire at the BBC has reignited discussion about the outlet’s political neutrality, while also prompting allegations that the British government has too much influence over the public broadcaster.

Reports emerged last week revealing that Jess Brammar, former editor-in-chief of Huffpost UK, had been tapped by the BBC to serve as its executive news editor. Her appointment was scrutinized in a piece published by the Mail on Sunday, which pointed to the “left-winger’s” previous criticisms of Brexit and Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The article claimed that Robbie Gibb, a member of the BBC board, warned that Brammar’s appointment would shatter the government’s “fragile trust in the BBC.”

The report led to accusations from both sides of the political divide: conservatives claimed that Brammar’s new job was further proof of the BBC’s left-wing bias, while critics of the Tory government alleged that Johnson was attempting to influence the public broadcaster’s hiring decisions.

Things quickly escalated after Lewis Goodall, policy editor of the BBC’s current affairs programme Newsnight, publicly defended Brammer against her critics. Brammer had previously worked as a deputy editor for Newsnight.

In a tweet, Goodall lashed out at the “unhinged” and “simply misogynistic” attacks on Brammer published in the Mail.

But the tweet was quickly scrubbed. According to Goodall, he had been asked by the BBC to delete the commentary, apparently because it concerned an “internal matter.”


The Daily Mail responded by provocatively claiming that Goodall had been “silenced” by the BBC for “sticking up” for his “new anti-Brexit boss.”

The scandal continues to divide pundits. Emily Bell, a professor at Columbia Journalism School, argued that the episode revealed how Downing Street uses “friends” on the BBC board to “de facto dictate” appointments to the BBC.


Others said the saga was a clear example of “media censorship in Britain.”


But critics of Brammar’s appointment have continued to highlight the BBC’s alleged left-wing bias.



Meanwhile, in recent tweets, Goodall has criticised the government for not being more forthcoming with the media regarding the fallout from the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan. But his complaint has elicited shrugs from those who argue that the BBC has only itself to blame for “pandering” to Downing Street.

The BBC has long faced accusations of political bias. In June, Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis was found in violation of impartiality rules after she shared a tweet critical of the government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis. In recent months, some of the outlet’s new hires have faced scrutiny for their alleged left-wing leanings.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×