The BBC was a rock when I was fleeing war - how dare the Tories talk of its 'bias'

THE BBC is back in the news after Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer boldly declared on television and the radio yesterday that there was a “perception among audiences” that the corporation was biased. Downing Street last night backed her; Rishi Sunak said the BBC has “more work to do” — though denied that the Government is pursuing an agenda against the BBC.

- Nimco Ali

Yet sadly in our nonsensical political culture wars, the BBC has become a punching bag. How eternally depressing.

When Frazer was asked where the evidence of BBC bias was, as she did the media round, she was unable to give a real example of this supposedly deep rooted bias she is going to eliminate.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying the corporation is perfect, no massive organisation is without fault. But it is unfair and actually dangerous for consecutive culture secretaries to have this axe to grind — so nakedly ideological and political — when it comes to the broadcaster.

The BBC is the real global Britain flag that flies across the world and it gives so many people an insight into our democracy and the things we hold true. I came to know the BBC as a child in two spheres. In Manchester as a child, having fled war to a country that welcomed me, the BBC was where I learned to practise my English and shout out answers to silly, delightful questions from children’s TV.