BBC Defends Mishal Husain After Complaints Over Prime Ministerial Debate

The BBC has defended broadcaster Mishal Husain following complaints about how she moderated the recent leadership debate.

Last month, the newsreader and journalist chaired the head-to-head Prime Ministerial Debate between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer live from Nottingham, which aired on 26 June.

Following this, the BBC apparently received complaints accusing the host of not treating “both candidates equally when managing the debate”.

In a response issued on the corporation’s website, the BBC has insisted that challenging or pressing a panellist was not “indicative of bias”.

The statement continued: “Treating each candidate fairly involves the right balance of courtesy and rigour, to ensure that their message is clear to the electorate too. At times, there may well be a certain amount of talking over another speaker – we try to minimise this as much as possible.”

The BBC added that points by both sides were met with “sufficient challenge and clarification when needed – but the number or pattern of interruptions is not necessarily an indication of favouring one speaker over another”.

It concluded: “Viewers will no doubt expect the cut and thrust of political debate to be competitive and charged. We believe each speaker was dealt with even-handedly, and interrupted only when necessary to keep the discussion on track and ensure a response to the audience questions.”

Today voters are heading to the polls to vote in the general election to determine the next prime minister of the UK.

Anchor Clive Myrie and political reporter Laura Kuenssberg are running the BBC’s election coverage later today, while you can find out plans for ITV, Channel 4, Sky News and more here.

Earlier today, both Labour leader Starmer and the current prime minister made their final pleas for votes as polling stations opened.