Boris Johnson s appearance on the Andrew Marr Show made headlines after he suggested indyref2 wouldn t be held until 2055 THE BBC received more complaints about “bias against Boris Johnson” than any other issue in the period from December 21, 2020 to January 3, 2021, newly released figures show. The complaints related specifically to the Prime Minister’s appearance on The Andrew Marr Show, which happened on the final day of the period in question, Sunday, January 3. More than three times as many complaints were sent to the BBC about bias against Johnson than the second most complained about item in the period, which was the Black Lives Matter (BLM) symbol appearing during the Happy New Year Live! show.
Video
BBC dismiss complaints of Andrew Marr bias against Nicola Sturgeon over gap between presentation and reality interview THE BBC has dismissed complaints of bias by presenter Andrew Marr against the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in one of the most complained-about shows of the year. THE BBC received more complaints about bias against the SNP and Nicola Sturgeon than any other issue in the period from November 23 to December 6, 2020, according to official figures. The complaints related specifically to the First Minister’s appearance on The Andrew Marr Show on November 29 in which the Scots presenter suggested there was a gap between reality and her public claims about both the Alex Salmond scandal, her government s coronavirus record and the state of education in Scotland.
Nicola Sturgeon appeared on The Andrew Marr Show on November 29, 2020 THE BBC has dismissed the complaints it received about bias against the SNP and Nicola Sturgeon as it doesn’t agree that interviewer Andrew Marr’s approach was “unfair”. The corporation received more complaints about Marr’s “bias” than any other issue in the period from November 23 to December 6, 2020. Andrew Marr, the Glasgow-born journalist and author, presented an attitude towards the First Minister which National readers compared to an “attack dog” who was aiming not for a political interview but a “character assassination”. However, the BBC have disagreed with that assessment, saying: We don’t agree that the approach taken was biased or unfair.”
| UPDATED: 14:50, Sun, Dec 20, 2020
Link copied Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again
SUBSCRIBE Invalid email
When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters.
Sometimes they ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer.
Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
The BBC received 161 complaints and allegations of bias against the presenter after he interviewed Ms Sturgeon on Sunday, November 29th during the SNP conference. Mr Marr received a backlash following the interview, with social media users quick to respond.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers? We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions. What should we do with our second vote in 2021? What happens if Westminster says no to indyref2? Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversation, register under fake names, and post vile abuse. We’ve had hundreds of emails from you complaining about this, asking us to take steps to ensure that these people aren’t given a platform on our site.