THE BBC has received more than 2000 complaints over “bias in favour of the Conservatives” in one of its programmes.
A staggering 2211 people accused the broadcaster of lacking impartiality around the Tory party’s approach to public spending and taxation during the BBC News Special: Our New Prime Minister.
The complaints skyrocketed past the year’s previous record when 700 people accused the BBC of having a “pro-Tory bias” on Question Time.
The show, broadcast on October 25, saw the corporation deliver rolling news coverage and analysis as Rishi Sunak officially became UK PM.
READ MORE: Why it's time for the BBC to shelve the concept of 'impartial' reporting
The programme received more complaints than any other between October 24 to November 6.
It comes after a video by Guardian political commentator Owen Jones in which he urged people to issue complaints to the BBC.
Titled "don't let the BBC get away with it" the video has more than 200,000 views and adds a link to the complaint page in the YouTube description.
Jones said: "This is an unacceptable breach of journalistic objectivity - with potentially devastating consequences.
"In its coverage of Rishi Sunak's ascent to the premiership, the BBC declared that spending cuts - as well as tax rises - are inevitable.
"Both are political choices. If the government decided to increase taxes on the wealthy - as I set out here - then they could avoid spending cuts.
"If the BBC get away with this, they'll keep doing it - and soften up public opinion to protect the government from anger at unpopular cuts, because the electorate will decide they're inevitable."
In total, 12,086 people made complaints to the corporation during that time, with 704 of them accusing the BBC of not “sufficiently challenging” a panellist’s s views on climate change during an episode of Question Time.
The show, broadcast on October 27, drew fierce criticism over political commentator Julia Hartley-Brewer's remarks on climate change.
Labour MP David Lammy was seen with his head in his hands as the radio host claimed the UN’s reporting on the dangers of climate change was “complete nonsense”.
The Papers programme also received 566 complaints from viewers who accused the BBC of being biased against Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party.
READ MORE: BBC News broadcasts word cloud describing Rishi Sunak as a 'c***' and a 'twat'
The BBC found presenter Martine Croxall breached impartiality rules by appearing to be gleeful when it was announced Boris Johnson wouldn’t be standing for Tory leader.
The broadcaster said Croxall’s "remarks and reactions... caused a significant risk the audience could believe opinions were being expressed on the Conservative leadership contest”.
Other programmes to receive more than 100 complaints during the last two weeks are Have I Got News For You with 126 for “insensitivity to a panellist’s visual impairment”; The World At One with 177 for “not sufficiently challenging” Nigel Farage’s views on immigration; and BBC News with 181 for “bias against immigration”.
The BBC has been approached for comment.
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