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John,

On the surface, the story Donald Trump and Nigel Farage are pushing about the BBC’s supposed “editorial bias” sounds simple enough. It must be substantial if it prompted the resignations of Director-General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness, right?

But beneath the surface, this looks like the culmination of a long, coordinated political effort to undermine – and ultimately destroy – our national public broadcaster.

Here’s what actually happened. A leaked memo alleged that BBC journalists misleadingly edited footage of Trump’s January 6 speech, cutting together segments nearly an hour apart and omitting his call for supporters to protest “peacefully.”

That was misleading, yes. But it’s not trivial to acknowledge that what followed was a violent coup attempt at the U.S. Capitol, one that put elected representatives in genuine danger, and whose perpetrators Trump later pardoned. The BBC's reported version of events is much closer to the truth than what Trump would have you believe – that January 6th was a peaceful protest from a patriotic group of concerned Americans.

These attacks on the BBC aren’t new – but a long-term plan seems to have come to fruition. During the Johnson years, ministers branded the BBC a “loony-left” outfit while pushing to privatise it, despite years of studies showing its consistent bias toward conservative perspectives.

Now – again, despite evidence showing that the BBC is actually bending over backwards to appease Reform UK voters – the plot has evolved into a coordinated pressure campaign. Practically every right-wing party and outlet seems to be united and armed with the same talking points.

Farage says the BBC is “infested with left-wing bias.” Trump’s press secretary calls it “100 percent fake news.” Kemi Badenoch demands “heads to roll.” And the Telegraph, which published the memo, leads a coordinated assault backed by much of the right-wing press.

And what about that memo that started it all? The author, Michael Prescott, turns out to be a right-wing lobbyist ([link removed]) whose firm is paid by U.S. tech and media giants close to Trump. He was reportedly appointed to the BBC advisory board at the behest of Sir Robbie Gibb – co-owner of GB News alongside anti-BBC crusader Paul Marshall. Quite the coincidence.

We’ve long said the BBC faces serious internal challenges: weak independence, opaque appointments, and a reluctance to platform a wide range of perspectives. Our Functional Democracy Goals report ([link removed]) outlines a number of much-needed reforms, and there are plenty of other smart and thoughtful proposals ([link removed]) to make our public broadcaster fit for purpose.

But make no mistake: this is a demolition job. Farage, Trump, Johnson, and the rest don’t want to see an improved, empowered, and well-run BBC. They want us trapped in a GB News hall of mirrors, where every reflection flatters the powerful and distorts any meaningful challenge against them.

In accepting the argument here – in the resignation of its two senior figures – the BBC has conceded defeat to powerful and radical forces both external and embedded within its own governance.

The next political battleground is already clear: the BBC board is set up for a protracted political battle over the replacement Director-General.

What follows is likely to shape the very future of public broadcasting in the UK – and that of the media as a whole.

All the best,

Matt Gallagher

Communications Officer

Open Britain
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