Lee Anderson has explained why he marched out of a showdown between Tory MPs and the BBC’s Director-General last night, amid widespread fury about the broadcaster’s coverage of Hamas and migrants.
Tory MPs failed to hide their contempt for the BBC at the crunch meeting with the Director-General of the BBC in Parliament.
Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick led the charge inside the room, telling the BBC boss: “I’ve never been so disappointed in the BBC as I have been this past fortnight.
“I worry that the organisation has lost the confidence of many people and in particular the British Jewish community.
“That loss of confidence began with the BBC’s refusal to call Hamas terrorists.”
Jonathan Gullis MP said the appearance only succeeded in winding “more people up, and not just vocal critics of the BBC”.
Another Tory said of Mr Davie’s appearance: “The moral decline of the BBC is concerning”.
A third of the way through the BBC boss’s performance, journalists saw Tory Party deputy chairman Lee Anderson march out “with a face like thunder”.
Mr Anderson has now explained he walked out because he was: “Fed up with the same old tripe.”
He told the Express: “Mr Davie should cancel his TV licence as he obviously does not watch his own channels.
“The BBC is suffering from a cost of confidence crisis.”
Former Cabinet minister Stephen Crabb MP also slammed the corporation for presenting Hamas’s propaganda as fact, and demanded to know whether Mr Davie “shared a measure of responsibility” for the antisemitism Jewish people faced the day after the strike on a Palestinian hospital.
The BBC widely reported initially claims by the terrorist group that Israel was responsible, however British intelligence has subsequently concluded the rocket was likely fired from within Gaza and misfired.
Hartlepool’s Jill Mortimer demanded to know whether Mr Davie personally believes Hamas are terrorists, however he refused to answer as it wouldn’t be “appropriate”.
A source told the Sun that it was at this point the BBC chief “lost the room”.
Tory MPs also rounded on the corporation over its coverage of small boats and migration, with Dover MP Natalie Elphicke leading the charge to loud cheers and table-banging.
He replied that the corporation is currently undertaking a review of its immigration coverage and will publish it in full.
Following the meeting, Sir Simon Clarke indicated Mr Davie revealed he will consider publishing the 2004 Balen report into whether the corporation’s coverage of Israel is biased, despite the BBC spending hundreds of thousands in legal fees preventing its publication.
Making the Balen report public has been a key demand of many MPs since the corporation sparked anger with its Palestine coverage three weeks ago.
Mr Davie’s appearance before the 1922 Committee was highly unusual, as it is usually only addressed by Ministers.
