Once again, the BBC has shown its actual right-wing bias in its labelling of Question Time guests.

BBC Question Time: under fire again

On this week’s episode, the BBC labelled Faiza Shaheen, an established academic, author, and economist, as an “activist”. Meanwhile, they labelled far-right GB News presenter and anti-immigration activist (or racist if you prefer) Matt Goodwin, an “author and academic”. Importantly, Goodwin is no longer even an academic.

So why does the BBC label the academic and economist Faiza Shaheen an “activist” but refuse to do the same for the former academic, turned anti-migrant activist, Matt Goodwin? pic.twitter.com/75xIc1VpJF

— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) October 30, 2025

Was it because Faiza Shaheen is a woman?

Faiza Shaheen has a PhD, was a visiting professor at the LSE, has published a book, headed up a think tank and is now the executive director of another one.

But for #bbcqt she’s still an ‘activist’.

See how it works? pic.twitter.com/arbuTHwIkX

— Aaron Bastani (@AaronBastani) October 30, 2025

Or because she’s brown?

I have noticed “activist” being used as a loaded charge against women of colour academics. I am always curious to unpack the meaning and intention of the speaker when they say this. I am sure that when and if we describe ourselves as activists we do not mean the same thing. https://t.co/XVuf6SrrZV

— Dr Nilufar Ahmed (@ahmed_nilufar) October 31, 2025

Because brown women who have an opinion are seen as “activists” and loud…not just women with an opinion. I’ve been described as an activist too and it makes me sick. https://t.co/nRXVIpLB8e

— Narinder Kaur (@narindertweets) October 30, 2025

Or maybe because she’s left-wing?

The right are always portrayed as concerned citizens, and the left are always portrayed as activists. It’s how they manufacture consent. https://t.co/9klyt6keFM

— Sir Norman of Nowhere. (@Normanjam67) October 31, 2025

I worked in BBC News for years. When it frames guests on the Left (Faiza Shaheen) as “activists” (undermining them) & those on the Right as “academics” (boosting them) it’s usually a subconscious – not deliberate – decision; providing a candid insight into its institutional bias pic.twitter.com/i7fn4reWPd

— Sangita Myska (@SangitaMyska) October 31, 2025

Perhaps it’s all of the above.

Ms Shaheen is an economist, Distinguished Policy Fellow at LSE, holds a PhD and is a published author.

She is as much of an academic and author as Goodwin who is a Reform and anti-immigration activist.

This is deliberate.

— Chirpy Chet (@ChirpyChet) October 31, 2025

Some social media users suggested it was due to “subconscious bias”. However, for years now, it has been clear that the BBC is no longer impartial.

Important observation on the failing of of Teflon Tim Davie’s impartiality agenda. I think Sangita is generous causing it subconscious- its how they frame contributions & similar to how they frame headlines. Few academics as activist as Goodwin. #bbcbias https://t.co/z2ykOidZX9

— David Wilson (@CityHobo61) October 31, 2025

I think we’ve gone way beyond subconscious bias a long time ago though! It’s certainly no accident right leaning guests are overrepresented and likely to be considered acceptable with far more extreme views than those on the left

— Keith (@lordsidcup) October 31, 2025

As far back as 2016, the Canary reported on the BBC’s anti-left bias.

Already this year, the BBC was caught rigging Question Time to turn away pro-Palestine audience members at the door.

The Canary has also previously reported the many instances of the BBC’s anti-Palestine narratives. So much for an impartial broadcaster.

Goodwin

Goodwin is supposedly a former academic. However, he can’t even get basic bar charts right.

Matt Goodwin is a Reform UK Party activist who was already on #bbcqt this year in February 2025

He’s not a reputable academic – can’t even get a basic bar chart right. https://t.co/OHc3sCaev8 pic.twitter.com/l33Ofeeiei

— Jane (@localnotail) October 30, 2025

Goodwin has highly divisive views and regularly disseminates extreme disinformation.

The Reform UK-amplifying @BBC is platforming another of Reform UK’s ‘anti-elite’ billionaire-employed GB “News” presenters on #bbcqt: the divisive and increasingly extreme disinformation superspreader Matt Goodwin. AGAIN!

Goodwin is an activist who often speaks at Reform events. pic.twitter.com/52FZzjT15L

— GET A GRIP (@docrussjackson) October 30, 2025

He may not be a Reform UK politician, but he has spoken at several Reform events, including its 2025 conference.

The @bbcquestiontime lying by omission AGAIN. @Ofcom

Mathew Goodwin is a Reform activist whose views align more with racial nationalist @SarahForRuncorn

I hope someone on the panel exposes him and the BBC. https://t.co/cQV2GAoYdr pic.twitter.com/7bR262OA71

— InevitableFacts (@Nikhedonia11) October 30, 2025

Goodwin was able to go on a rant about foreigners committing crimes, with no one really challenging his rhetoric. Of course, he mentioned asylum seekers committing sex crimes. Of course, he failed to mention that white British men commit 87% of sex crimes in the UK.

And you know we’re all fucked, when you’re agreeing with Lisa Nandy.

Matt Goodwin goes on a Reform style rant and gets absolutely no support from the audience on #bbcqt and is challenged by Lisa Nandy who response is applauded. pic.twitter.com/o4kwhaTUcX

— Car Crash TV (@nowtserioushere) October 30, 2025

Matthew Goodwin

Why was Goodwin platformed at all by BBC QT ?

He is a xenophobe, white supremacist, a nativist and white ethnonationalist

He is a hate activist. His politics is toxic.

— Micheal OLainn (@micheal_olainn) October 31, 2025

One BBC Question Time audience member told him:

You’ve used immigrants as a scapegoat for every single issue that we’ve discussed

Several audience members rinsed Goodwin, and at one point, Fiona Bruce stopped a question when she realised it was another anti-Reformer.

My goodness Matt Goodwin comes across as an obnoxious hateful one-trick pony. Glad much of the #bbcqt audience saw through his schtick and agree. pic.twitter.com/4EPu7OGpBJ

— Eddie Burfi (@EddieBurfi) October 30, 2025

Of course, she then had to add:

Can I just point out that there have also been people here who have supported what Matt has to say, and we’ve heard from them, too.

Was it leaning a bit too far left for you, Fiona?

Pro-Reform bias

Of the 27 episodes of BBC Question Time so far this year, Reform UK have appeared on 11 panels. It only has 5 MPs.

In comparison, the Lib Dems, who have 72 MPs, have only appeared on nine panels. How is that balanced?

Despite having just 5 MPs, Reform UK have been represented by a panellist on 11 of the 27 episodes of #bbcqt in 2025.

In contrast, the @LibDems (72 MPs) have been represented in just 9, and @TheGreenParty (4 MPs) only 4 times.

REFORM UK HAVE LESS THAN 1% OF UK MPs! https://t.co/RWnm5409Fw pic.twitter.com/yykHe6NG7m

— GET A GRIP (@docrussjackson) October 30, 2025

One X user observed that maybe, just maybe, we should label the far-right-wing talking heads in the corporate media as ‘activists’.

Yes. To be clear every right wing journalist and commentator the BBC and other broadcasters have on are, in reality, right-wing activists – they are pushing the right-wing agenda. They are activists not neutral observers and commentators. https://t.co/32zMsxvBW9

— Steven Boxall (@RegenerationEX) October 31, 2025

Because, when it comes down to it, establishment hacks sucking up to and platforming right-wing politicians doesn’t exactly scream, ‘impartial’. PR lapdogs for fascists, more like.

The sheer right-wing bias of the #BBC is farcical.

​@ChrisMasonBBC justified huge coverage of @ReformUK on @BBCRadio4 by calling their rise unprecedented.

If so, w​here is that same attention for the @greenparty‘s growth? #BBCBias #LicenceFee #MediaBias #BBCQT https://t.co/fJwnX5T09z

— Richard Jackson (@richardj5000) October 30, 2025

In academia, too, the labels tell the story. Critique the system and you’re “a leftist.” Defend it, and you’re “an academic”. https://t.co/hQx4J6BD1d

— Aidan Regan (@Aidan_Regan) October 31, 2025

The Canary has been calling it for a long time, but all this is to say, the BBC has a serious right-wing bias problem. And by this, we also mean, in age-old Fiona Bruce BBC Question Time tradition, it’s a racist, misogynistic piece of shit of a stitch-up-come-panel show.

And brave, brilliant women of colour like Faiza Shaheen – a distinguished academic – deserved better than this sleight from the public broadcaster.

Feature image via Anthony Foster/YouTube

By HG

From Canary via this RSS feed