Lucy Frazer says BBC has been biased ‘on occasion’ - does Rishi Sunak agree?

The BBC has been biased "on occasion", the Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has said, ahead of new powers coming in for Ofcom over the broadcaster.

The reforms, announced as part of the BBC mid-term charter review, would give the media regular more powers over BBC’s online services, meaning it could gain enforcement action over BBC News website articles that don't meet relevant broadcast standards. Currently, Ofcom is only able to issue an opinion.

In interviews today (22 January), the Culture Secretary Frazer said "I think that on occasion it has been biased”, citing its reporting of a hospital attack in Gaza. In the initial report, at the al-Ahli hospital, a BBC reporter said there was a lack of clarity about the origins of the strike, but speculated that Israel was behind an attack. However, it later emerged it was likely from a faulty rocket fired by Hamas.

Frazer refused to say which other broadcasters she believed might be impartial, saying they were in “totally different positions” from the publicly funded corporation. She told Sky News that “evidence” suggested there was a “perception amongst audiences” that there was some bias at the BBC.

When it was put to her that perceptions are not necessarily reality, she said: “There are only perceptions and perceptions are important. What’s important about the BBC is that it’s funded by the public, so the perception of audiences of the public are important.”

In December, the government announced that the increase in the television licence fee would be lower than expected, putting more pressure on its finances after a two-year freeze.

Does the Prime Minister agree that the BBC is biased 'on occasion'?

Rishi Sunak's official spokesman declined to agree that the BBC is biased, instead saying "it is for Ofcom to hold the BBC to account". He told reporters: "That includes responsibility to provide impartial information.

"As the Culture Secretary set out this morning there is evidence of an increase in audience complaints about impartiality and we saw that recently with issues around the reporting of the strike on the hospital in Gaza. So it’s right that the BBC continues to monitor that carefully and Ofcom plays a vital role."

He added: "The announcement today was about ensuring the BBC is able and fully prepared to ensure it continues to thrive long into the future, which I think is something the public support."

What has Labour said?

Lucy Frazer's remarks were criticised by shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire.The Labour MP for Bristol West said Frazer was “just the latest in a long line of Secretaries of State for Culture Wars”.

She also said the government should stop using the BBC as a “punching bag” and instead support it “to create wealth, jobs and joy”.

What has the BBC said?

A BBC spokesperson said “no other organisation takes its commitment to impartiality more seriously” and it has “well-established and detailed plans to sustain and further improve standards”.

They added: “We know this matters to audiences and the BBC continues to be the number one source for trusted news, with the highest scores for impartiality and accuracy. During discussions over the mid-term review, we proposed and implemented a number of reforms, including strengthening our complaints procedures, which now form part of the conclusions.

“We are pleased the Government has fully taken our proposals onboard. We remain committed to continuous improvement to ensure we deliver for all licence fee payers. The BBC is operationally and editorially independent and we will continue to engage constructively with Government, and our regulator Ofcom, over the second half of this charter and as we look ahead to a new charter in 2028.”

Ralph Blackburn is NationalWorld’s politics editor based in Westminster, where he gets special access to Parliament, MPs and government briefings. If you liked this article you can follow Ralph on X (Twitter) here and sign up to his free weekly newsletter Politics Uncovered, which brings you the latest analysis and gossip from Westminster every Sunday morning.