‘It’s not a propaganda machine, it’s a public service broadcaster!’ BBC accused of ‘doing Labour’s work’ after Keir Starmer remark
GB News star Andrew Pierce has lashed out at the BBC after it was dragged into the inheritance tax row by Sir Keir Starmer.
Accusations of bias have arisen after Starmer said the BBC supported his claim that most farmers will be unaffected by Labour’s changes.
Speaking on the People’s Channel, Andrew said the broadcaster is effectively acting as a mouthpiece for the Labour Government.
“The Prime Minister says all of these changes are okay because the BBC backs the Government”, he said.
Bev Turner sarcastically commented: “That’s nice of the BBC isn’t it? To help you all out because you’re too stupid.”
“Why is it doing the Government’s work for it?”, Andrew asked.
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“It’s propaganda. It’s not meant to be for propaganda. It’s a public service broadcaster. It’s supposed to be impartial.
“I don’t make any secret that I’m not impartial, but people don’t pay a licence fee for the BBC doing the Government’s work.”
Starmer has been steadfast in his assertion that only a small minority of farms will be unaffected by the changes that will come into play in 2026.
Speaking at the G20 summit yesterday, the PM urged people to find out for themselves about the impact the changes will have – pointing them in the BBC’s direction.
“All of you can check out what that means in terms of impact. I think the BBC has already done it”, he said.
“It means the vast majority of farms are unaffected by this, and I think it’s just important that we keep making that clear.”
Earlier this month, BBC Verify said that in 2021-22, just 462 inherited farms were worth more than £1 million – the new cap on agricultural property relief (APR) – out of the 209,000 farm holdings in the UK.
The article also referenced the claim that 70,000 farms could find themselves under the new bracket, but adds that “it is not necessarily the right number to use”.
Yesterday, thousands of farmers descended on the streets of London to voice their fury at the changes.
They were joined by Jeremy Clarkson, who said he defied doctors’ orders to join the march.
The 64-year-old TV presenter, who fronts Prime Video’s Clarkson’s Farm which documents the trials of farming on his land in Oxfordshire, previously revealed he had been told to cut back on working after a heart operation.
Before the march on Tuesday, Clarkson told The Sun he would continue to support his fellow farmers despite his health issues as he felt it was a “hugely important issue”.
The former Top Gear host told the newspaper: “I will be there, despite having letters from doctors telling me not to go on the march and saying I must avoid stress.
“We have got two coaches of farmers from around here who are leaving from Diddly Squat. It is a hugely important issue.”