Culture secretary, who was victim of Radio 4 gaffes, risks anger of corporation staff by presuming to know their political views The culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt – whose surname was accidentally turned into an expletive by two BBC presenters last week – is risking the anger of corporation employees by presuming to know how most of them vote at elections. In an interview with the Observer, Hunt said it was clear to most people that more BBC employees would vote Labour or Lib Dem than Conservative. He also said that the corporation had been out of touch with public opinion in the recent past and shown leftwing bias on issues such as Europe, immigration and Northern Ireland. His comments come after he suffered the indignity of two unfortunate gaffes in an hour on Radio 4, when BBC presenters James Naughtie and Andrew Marr mispronounced his surname. Hunt went out of his way to praise much that the BBC does, saying it made fantastic programmes and provided unparalleled news coverage. He also said its journalists put their commitment to fair-minded reporting above "political affiliations". But his comments about how BBC staff vote, and recent bias, will do little to improve relations. Hunt said: "I think if you were to discover how people vote at the BBC there are probably more who vote Labour or for the Liberal Democrats than the Conservatives." He also made clear his frustrations with the BBC's decision to broadcast a Panorama programme about corruption at Fifa days before the decision on the 2018 World Cup, saying it had damaged England's bid. "It was a nightmare," he said. Hunt's remarks on the views of journalists will draw comparisons with the confrontation between ex-Tory chancellor Nigel Lawson and the late Radio Four presenter Brian Redhead. After the 1987 budget, Redhead interviewed Lawson and challenged him on unemployment. Lawson dismissed the criticism as that of "a lifelong Labour supporter". Redhead then asked for a minute's silence "while you compose an apology for daring to suggest you know how I exercise my vote, and I shall reflect on the death of your monetary policy". Hunt said he believed the BBC now seemed to have got a grip on the problem of bias - which had been recognised as an issue by its director general Mark Thompson. Laughing off the Radio 4 incidents, he added: "I think I have just got to enjoy the fact that for the moment I am the only cabinet minister for whom it is true that the next time I am interviewed on the Today Programme, Jim Naughtie will be more nervous than me."Jeremy Hunt accuses BBC staff of leftwing bias
Sunday, 12 December 2010
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