A former BBC executive has accused the corporation of denigrating Britain’s Christian heritage by constantly promoting a social-liberal agenda though its broadcasts.
Robin Aitken, who worked at the BBC for 25 years, collected evidence of its bias which he sent to BBC’s Director-General, and later published.
In a scathing assessment he said: “The BBC along with its media and establishment allies, has become the vehicle for the propagation of a series of lies in pursuit of a political agenda.”
‘Obsessed’
In an interview with academic Dr Jenny Taylor, Aitken said the BBC subsequently “came along and offered me this handsome pension” to force him out, aged 50.
In response Aitken wrote “Can we trust the BBC?” and “The Noble Liar: How and why the BBC distorts the news to promote a liberal agenda”.
He believes the BBC’s agenda is “deeply hostile” towards social conservatism and is “obsessed with identity politics”.
Dr Taylor said the BBC, in Aitken’s view, has “become an apostate, has lost her religion and now champions progressive causes, refusing to air debates on pornography, censorship, abortion, you name it.”
Abandoned values
The former entrance to the BBC is inscribed in Latin with the words: “This Temple of Arts and Muses is dedicated to Almighty God by the first Governors of Broadcasting House in the year 1931, Sir John Reith being Director-General.
“It is their prayer that good seed sown may bring forth a good harvest, that all things hostile to peace or purity may be banished from this house, and that the people, inclining their ear to whatsoever things are beautiful and honest and of good report, may tread the path of wisdom and uprightness.”
But Aitken told Dr Taylor these values have been abandoned by the nation’s public service broadcaster.
Christian values
He concluded that society needs “to re-affirm the values of righteousness and Christian morality” at an individual level.
He highlighted the need to hold the BBC accountable to its “values which say that it’s even-handed and impartial, fair and open minded”.