[Kojak]

It’s probably a fair point that issues get blown up, but I expect that really to go both ways.

If we have a Conservative government, people supporting Labour will claim the BBC has “government bias” and look to point out the bias. If we have a Labour government, of course those who are Conservative-supporting would be doing the same thing. Social media, in general, is “populated” largely by people who skew to the left. Large sections of the press, conversely, skew to the right. The BBC has to walk a tightrope with every sensitive issue. It’s partly why it can’t be seen to “let things go” if there is a clamour for action to be taken, and why an apology in this case probably wouldn’t even have worked as certain people would not have allowed this to be brushed under the carpet anyway.

But they should just 'let things go', especially if they are just a storm in a teacup anyway. These things are generally all forgotten about after a day or two anyway. The BBC should be bold, unafraid, confident. It is a byword for quality across the world, and the epitome of public service broadcasting. They ought to remember how much goodwill they have, not just here but internationally, too. Have some balls, for heaven's sake!