In an interview this morning, government minister Huw Merriman has criticised a BBC satirical show, citing it as “completely biased.”before blaming ITV presenter Neil Bucannan. The accusation is the latest in a series of claims from the Conservative party regarding the BBC’s impartiality.

During an interview with Sky News, Mr. Merriman appeared to confuse Art Attack presenter Neil Buchanan with BBC social affairs correspondent Michael Buchanan when pressed for examples of unbalanced reporting.

Merriman pointed to a recent episode of the BBC Radio 4 show, The News Quiz, as an example of bias. Despite it being a comedy program, he insisted that it lacked satire and leaned heavily against the Conservative party. “I did listen to it and think, for goodness sake, where is the balance in that?” he expressed.

The transport minister’s criticism comes in the wake of Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer’s acknowledgment that the BBC has, at times, shown bias. However, she struggled to provide specific examples, adding to the broader discourse on the broadcaster’s impartiality.

Merriman also took issue with the BBC’s coverage of universal credit, drawing attention to Neil Buchanan’s reporting during his tenure at the Department for Work and Pensions. “There was an individual there who would report on it, Neil Buchanan, who I always felt gave one side of the story and not the other side, which was the government side,” he claimed.

As these accusations unfold, questions regarding the BBC’s role, responsibilities, and adherence to impartial reporting continue to be at the forefront of the culture wars surrounding the broadcaster.