Boris Johnson explodes as he rages over BBC's 'left-wing bias'

Boris Johnson has unleashed a furious tirade against the BBC, branding it a hotbed of "Left-wing bias" and demanding Director-General Tim Davie explain the scandals or quit, in a blistering attack that has plunged the broadcaster into fresh turmoil. The former Prime Minister's intervention capped a week of damaging disclosures about the BBC's editorial practices, including the manipulation of a Donald Trump speech in a Panorama documentary and allegations of skewed reporting on the Israel-Hamas war.

These revelations, stemming from a leaked internal dossier, have fuelled bipartisan demands for Mr Davie to address the crisis publicly as the broadcaster faces scrutiny ahead of its 2027 Royal Charter renewal. Mr Johnson said: "The BBC has been caught red-handed in multiple acts of Left-wing bias.

"They have grotesquely doctored a speech by President Trump. They have taken the words of Hamas as gospel. They have suppressed debate about the trans issue.

"Anyone who owns a TV is compelled to fund this organisation. Tim Davie must either explain or resign."

Mr Johnson's remarks to The Telegraph this week reflect his repeated clashes with the BBC during his premiership, were triggered by a leaked 8,000-word dossier from Michael Prescott, a former standards adviser, who decried "despair at inaction" by BBC executives over rampant impartiality failures.

The disclosures this week - including evidence of a Panorama documentary splicing Donald Trump's January 6, 2021, speech to falsely suggest he incited the Capitol riot by yelling "fight like hell" - have prompted a furious reaction.

Mr Prescott's damning letter, sent to the BBC board, exposes multiple lapses: "effective censorship" of transgender coverage; BBC Arabic's alleged downplaying of Israeli suffering in the Hamas war to cast the country as the aggressor; and the retraction by the BBC Verify fact-checking team of a botched story claiming racial bias in car insurance.

Next week, Mr Prescott will testify before Parliament on these issues, drawing from 10 unreleased internal reports on everything from US election slants to Gaza war reporting and BBC News app alerts.

The scandals have MPs baying for Mr Davie's blood. Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel said: "It's time for Tim Davie to come out of hiding," as she dubbed the BBC the "Hamas Broadcasting Corporation".

Dame Priti demanded immediate publication of the hidden reports, slamming the lack of accountability - especially for BBC Arabic, part of the World Service and part-funded by the Foreign Office - as the Royal Charter renewal looms in 2027.

Shadow Culture Secretary Nigel Huddleston voiced "amazement" at what he characterised as the BBC's stonewalling amid talks on its future funding.

He said: "The BBC needs to apologise, and Tim Davie needs a public statement now. Its global reputation for trust and impartiality is being shredded. Public confidence must be rebuilt before it's too late."

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy stressed the BBC's "unique place in our national life," adding that ministers "take questions about editorial standards seriously" and expect "careful reflection." A green paper on Charter reforms is due soon, with bias fears likely to fuel demands for licence fee overhauls.

Express.co.uk has contacted the BBC for comment.