Tories accuse BBC of bias
The Conservatives have accused the BBC of political bias after alleging the BBC equipped hecklers with microphones at a Conservative Party campaign meeting.
It claims that the corporation sent three hecklers to a campaign meeting last Wednesday where they were heard to shout anti-Conservative slogans.
Guy Black, the Tory party’s head of communications, sent a letter to Helen Boaden, the BBC’s director of news, arguing that the hecklers shouted slogans that were “distracting” and “clearly hostile” to the party.
Mr Black suggested that the BBC had staged the event “to generate a false news story” and dramatise proceedings to “embarrass or ridicule” Mr Howard.
The BBC has said it is investigating the allegations.
It said that hecklers were not under the direction of the BBC and the producers had observed hecklers at other political meetings.
The incident is part of a programme, to be shown on BBC3, on the history and art of political heckling.
In a statement it said: “The incident at the Michael Howard meeting only plays a small part in the overall programme.However, we will be investigating the complaint very thoroughly and will be replying in due course.”
