News from Brent Labour

Brent Labour accuses BBC’s Question Time of bias and racism

Brent Labour councillors, supported by the Member of the London Assembly for Brent Harrow, Navin Shah, have written to the BBC to protest against the fact that Dawn Butler – one of only two black women MPs, and the first ever elected black woman minister, has never been invited to appear on the BBC Question Time programme whilst her white election opponent, Sarah Teather, has appeared three times in the last nine months.

The letter to the BBC says: “we have long detected a bias towards the Liberal Democrats in the BBC but we are truly alarmed that Nick Griffin will now appear on BBC’s Question Time before Britain’s first elected black woman government minister”.

The letter writers wonder “if the bias against Dawn Butler is symptomatic of what Greg Dyke once called ‘a hideously white organisation’”.

The Leader of Brent Council’s Labour Group, Councillor Ann M John, OBE, said:

“The Brent Central constituency is unique in having two women MPs fighting against each other at the next General Election yet the BBC persists in promoting one of them at the expense of the other. Sarah Teather has appeared on no less than three occasions in the past nine months and Dawn has yet to be invited, despite being the country’s first elected black woman minister. This displays a remarkable lack of balance. It seems that the BBC would prefer to entertain the BNP leader rather than give a fair chance to Dawn Butler. No wonder Greg Dyke called the organisation hideously white.”

The full letter reads:

re: BBC ‘Question Time’ – bias against black women

The Labour Member of Parliament for Brent South, Dawn Butler, is one of only two black women MPs and she is one of our youngest MPs.

She is also the first elected black woman government minister.

At the next General Election Dawn’s Brent South constituency will be merged with parts of Brent East to form the new Brent Central constituency.

The two main candidates for the Brent Central constituency are Dawn Butler and the Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East, Sarah Teather.

We note that Ms Teather has appeared on BBC’s ‘Question Time’ on at least four occasions since the 2005 election and on no less than three occasions this year! (19 February 2009, 9 July 2009 and 8 October 2009).

By contrast, Dawn Butler, MP has never been invited to appear.

We have long detected a bias towards the Liberal Democrats in the BBC’s output but we are truly alarmed that Nick Griffin will now appear on BBC’s ‘Question Time’ before Britain’s first elected black woman government minister.

We wonder if the bias against Dawn Butler is symptomatic of what Greg Dyke once called ‘a hideously white organisation’.

We hope that you will remedy this imbalance and invite Dawn Butler to appear on your programme.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Ann John, OBE – Leader of Brent Council Labour Group
Cllr Lena Ahmed
Cllr Mary Arnold
Cllr Joyce Bacchus, MBE, JP
Cllr Lincoln Beswick, MBE
Cllr Muhammed Butt
Cllr David Coughlin
Cllr George Crane
Cllr Mary Farrell
Cllr Ralph Fox
Cllr Lesley Jones
Cllr Janice Long
Cllr Dr Jim Moher
Cllr Ruth Moher
Cllr Colum Moloney
Cllr James Powney
Cllr Harbhajan Singh
Cllr Bobby Thomas
Cllr Zaffar Van Kalwala
Cllr Navin Shah – Member of the London Assembly for Brent & Harrow