What we should be doing is challenging those who accuse the BBC of ‘Left Wing’ bias and tackle them on the issues they bring up.

The Right are trying to mould the BBC into a sort of ‘Fox/Daily Mail’ clone, but I think it a mistake by attempting to counter that by dragging the BBC onto the Left. We need to make sure the BBC remains as objective as possible. It is the BBC ‘s objectivity the Right Whingers dislikes the BBC’s objectivity, not the so-called bias. That objectivity makes them look bad.

What planet are YOU on? Are you seriously suggesting that you have never seen a programme highlighting the cost of the Welfare State? Or you have never heard it discussed? I have seen and heard the BBC tackle that repeatedly.

Also, the point of the article linked above and all the rest is to show how the BBC also has a deep strain of conservatism and many of its presenters/journalists are from that strain. So when right-wingers say it’s a liberal-left institution, all they’re doing is whining and tactically trying to force the BBC to move right-ward. We have to resist that.

On the political centre – I’m on the centre left broadly. I think the country is roughly where I am (though on issues around immigration it may not be). People want less interference from corporations and they’re happy to pay taxes for centrally funded services like the BBC and NHS (providing they offer value for money). They are socially liberal (more so than the US) though liable to the odd outburst of anger at the unemployed.

It’s the libertarians who are completely out of touch. It’s the Tories who had to move left-wards in order to detoxify their brand. I’m not that pessimistic about where I stand…

It’s not that Auntie has a conservative bias, what you’re describing is a consequence of Blairism moving the political centre of the UK to the right – and this has been done with the influence of the aforementioned hard-right commercial press this country has. What would have been considered genuine left-liberalism 30 years ago is completely off the political compass now, and the BBC reflects that.

“Maybe you should provide a list of conservative dramatist which balance out Jimmy McGovern, Paul Abbott, Howard Brenton, Simon Beufoy, Stephen Bowker, Russell T Davies, etc. in terms of creative freedom and resources they are given?”

Ah, but wait a minute, to say that most successful dramatists are ‘left wing’ is not the same thing as suggesting that the ‘BBC is left wing’. You cannot blame the BBC for the quaility of ‘Right wing playrights’ anymore than you can blame the BBC for the shortage of good Right Wing stand up, can you? They can only hire the people who are writting, can’t they?

The demise of the ‘working man’s clubs’ and the rise of the comedy club has meant that comedy has moved to the Left, so it stands to reason that the BBC’s Comedy output has move somewhat vaguely to the left as well. The comedy landscape has changed, for better or worse, and so has the politics.

If the ‘great white hope’ of Right Wing comedy is still doing his ‘Chalky’ voice for comedic effect and poor old Bernard went to his grave convinced the term ‘nig nog’ was still funny that is not the BBC’s fault, is it?

Well, if you don’t know how Burn Up, The State Within, Occupation, etc. aren’t anti-American you are beyond help.

Do you actually watch TV? Seriously?

Maybe you should provide a list of conservative dramatist which balance out Jimmy McGovern, Paul Abbott, Howard Brenton, Simon Beufoy, Stephen Bowker, Russell T Davies, etc. in terms of creative freedom and resources they are given?

The BBC is pro-establishment, it is pro-business (heavily) and it gets most of its stories from the right-wing press like the Daily Mail (if you look at the running order of news).

Countering that are bigger points. Which is why I always respond to lame quotes by Richard Marr with other examples to point out that isn’t enough as an argument.

“Shatterface – just a few dramas you can think of (and I don’t know how they’re anti-American anyway) does not a general policy make.”

In that case, how does a few figures and incidents a general policy make? I mean, I see your Jeff Randal and raise you Paul Mason.

I agree that the Beeb’s not anti-war or Anti-American – and, indeed, that it holds a bias towards (largely Western) power – but that doesn’t necessitate Conservatism.

Richard – Andrew Marr’s comment is already dealt with in the article. It’s typical liberal-left guilt rubbish.

Sunny’s main charge is that the BBC broadcast Neil’s Hayek speach four years ago

Not my main charge. There are in fact plenty of charges made quite well in that article. Deal with all of them.

Nick – yes I’m not happy with its conservative bias. But I’d rather it acknowledge that first.

The Street, Casualty, Holby and EastEnders all adopt a left of centre attitude to social issues.

Sunny’s main charge is that the BBC broadcast Neil’s Hayek speach four years ago (gee, a Hayek lecture in favour of privatisation – who saw that coming?) and he’s currently hosting a midnight show nobody watches and a daytime one even students can’t be bothered getting up for.

Sunny has railed against the BBC before. You and the New Statesman have timed this attack well, Sunny. James Murdoch has lashed out. Maybe you should team up and have it the BBC privatised.

I don’t see the left being anti-American either. I can see the left being anti at aspects of American society as it does have its dark side with race and what we are witnessing at the moment with disgruntled Republican but as a whole the majority of people there are decent, thoughtful and entertaining. I guess also the constitution of the USA is something more left wing than the set up which we have over here in the UK.

As for being liberal-left, I don’t know where such an accusation comes from. The liberal bit is fine – I expect even the Conservative Party would regard themselves as coming under the umbrella of ‘Liberalism’ the ideology – but left-wing? Don’t see many people arguing for wealth redistribution and stronger welfare nets these days. Plenty of New Labourites arguing exactly the opposite. Plus Melanie Phillips’ regular appearances on Radio 4 more than balance out whatever Diane Abbott says.

And Diane Abbott doesn’t need Neil and Portillo to gang up one her, she’s just sits their giggling and gurning like an idiot. Give her a show of her own and even more people would vote Tory.