Agree with what they say or not, it's surely hard to disagree that BBC reporters are becoming ever readier to give their 'expert' opinion on all sorts of political matters.
I'm presuming that's because they've been allowed/encouraged to do so from above.
Here's an example that very much runs counter to the grain (which makes it even more interesting, perhaps):
The BBC has made Tony Blair's latest anti-Brexit intervention their lead story for most of the day.
On tonight's BBC One News at Ten, however, the BBC's Carole Walker gave her view that Mr Blair's intervention would probably have a "pretty limited" impact, given how "hugely divisive" he is.
I'm sure she's entirely right about that, but should she be saying it (i.e. passing judgement)?
If it's true though, why shouldn't she say it? Mr Blair, and those who welcomed his intervention today, may not like it, but, if it's true, why should that matter?
If she'd dismissed the impact of an intervention from someone like, say, Nigel Farage because he's "hugely divisive", would that matter either?
I have to say I don't know the answer to the question of how far BBC reporters should go with 'fair comment', especially if some people won't consider it 'fair comment' at all.
Anyhow, while I'm making up my confused mind, here's a transcript:
Sophie Raworth: And Carole's in Westminster now. What impact is his intervention likely to have then?
Carole Walker: What he's hoping to do is to change the terms of the debate, to convince us all that Brexit is not inevitable. Now he's not founding a new party, but he does want to try to build a movement. He's going to found an institute to further his cause, but, of course, leading Brexit campaigners have been lining up to try to stop him in his tracks, accusing him of being out of touch, arrogant, undemocratic, treating the British people as fools. He won't get much support from the Labour leadership. Jeremy Corbyn is hardly a Tony Blair fan at the best of times and has made it clear he believes that the Labour Party should accept the vote in that referendum, except the will of the people and support the Government in beginning their Brexit negotiations. And even some people who share Tony Blair's concerns about Brexit and the whole approach of the Government are wary of Tony Blair's involvement. The former Prime Minister, of course, was a redoubtable campaigner in his day. He won three general elections, but the legacy of the Iraq War means he is a hugely divisive figure. For that reason, it would be very difficult indeed for him to build the sort of coalition he needs, and so, I think the overall impact on the march to Brexit will probably be pretty limited.
Sophie Raworth: Thank you.
