After Nicola Sturgeon complaints BBC dismisses third tranche of 'bias' complaints about Andrew Marr

Complaints stated that Mr Marr showed bias against the government, interrupted Mr Johnson too much through 'intrusive interrogation' or were unhappy the Scots journalist summarised his interview with the Prime Minister as "an Englishman talking to a Scot".

Others complained that Mr Marr appeared to be stating an opinion in questions about the possibility of a Scottish independence referendum.

In one part of the interview Mr Marr said: "What is different about the English wanting to leave the EU and having a referendum and being allowed to do that and Scotland wanting to leave the UK and doing exactly the same thing. What's the difference?"

READ MORE: After Nicola Sturgeon complaints BBC's Andrew Marr cleared again over bias

The BBC said: "The Andrew Marr Show is known for its rigorous and in depth interviews in which politicians and others in positions of power are held to account.

"Throughout the interview, Mr Marr gave the Prime Minister ample time to respond whilst also interjecting to ask follow up questions to keep the interview on track. We believe the tone of the interview was measured and respectful, and Boris Johnson was able to answer in full whilst also being sufficiently challenged.

"In the closing moments of the interview, the Prime Minister said that Mr Marr should 'break out of your characteristic gloom' and referred to 'lots of reasons to be positive' about the new year. Mr Marr has clarified that he wasn’t making a constitutional point by responding that it had been “an Englishman talking to a Scot”, but rather referring to what he has called his own 'natural, wintry-Caledonian, comfortless, slate-grey, east-coast temperament'.

"We believe Mr Marr’s approach throughout the interview showed the scrutiny, detail and due impartiality the audience expects.

In responses to some concerns about the questioning over Scottish independence, the BBC insisted that in the "grammar of the political interview it is often understood by audiences that the interviewer will play devil's advocate in order to pursue a line of enquiry with an interviewee".

It added: "Just because an interviewer puts forward a particular position, it does not mean that it can be inferred that this is their own view."

More than three times as many complaints were sent to the BBC about Mr Johnson's appearance than the second most complained about item in the period, which was the Black Lives Matter (BLM) symbol appearing during the Happy New Year Live! show.

It is the third interview that has come under the microscope since the BBC looked into complaints of bias in relation to the First Minister’s appearance on The Andrew Marr Show on November 29.

The publicly-funded broadcaster dismissed complaints of bias by Mr Marr against the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in what was one of the most complained-about shows of the year.

The complaints related specifically to the First Minister’s appearance on The Andrew Marr Show on November 29 in which the Scots presenter suggested there was a "gap" between reality and her public claims about both the Alex Salmond scandal, her government's coronavirus record and the state of education in Scotland.

Mr Marr had been accused of presenting an attitude towards the First Minister which some compared to an “attack dog” who was aiming not for a political interview but a “character assassination”.

READ MORE: BBC dismiss complaints of Andrew Marr 'bias' against Nicola Sturgeon in interview

In the latest complained-about show, the Prime Minister reiterated his position that a Scottish independence referendum should be a “once-in-a-generation” vote while also saying that schools should be kept open.

He said that the gap between referendums on Europe – the first in 1975 and the second in 2016 – was “a good sort of gap”.

Mr Marr suggested that now “things had changed” for Scotland, after leaving the European Union and the coronavirus pandemic.

"Imagine me as a Scottish voter sitting in Edinburgh or Glasgow, maybe I voted in favour of the union in the referendum," Mr Marr said. "But since then I have seen Brexit happen, and I don't like Brexit. And I've seen the way your government has behaved over the coronavirus pandemic and prefer Nicola Sturgeon's version of that and I want my country, Scotland, to leave the UK. What are the democratic tools in my hands to do that?"

Mr Johnson said: “Referendums in my experience, direct experience, in this country are not particularly jolly events."

Mr Marr said: "But they change things."

Mr Johnson responded: "They don’t have a notably unifying force in the national mood, they should be only once in a generation.”

Mr Marr asked: "What is different about the English wanting to leave the EU and having a referendum and being allowed to do that and Scotland wanting to leave the UK and doing exactly the same thing. What's the difference?"

Mr Johnson responded: “The difference is we had a referendum in 1975 and we then had another one in 2016.

“That seems to be about the right sort of gap.”

As of December 10, the BBC’s figures reported that 161 complaints were received relating to “bias against SNP" in the earlier interview with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

At the end of December the BBC dismissed a fresh set of complaints about December 13 edition of The Andrew Marr Show - raising concerns that the presenter appeared to be defending the government over Brexit while interrupting former Labour leader Ed Milliband too much.

At one point the Glasgow-born journalist and author described as "mealy mouthed" Mr Milliband's comment that Labour would have to look at the detail of any trade deal with the EU before deciding to fully support it.

Complaints to the BBC compared what some described as an "aggressive confrontational attitude" to both Mr Miliband and Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin while having an "acquiescent" attitude to foreign secretary Dominic Raab.

But the BBC insisted that it did not consider Mr Milliband was treated an differently to other guests on the show.

During the Boris Johnson interview, the Prime Minister slapped down Mr Marr for questioning him on why the Government did not put the country into a lockdown sooner.

The Prime Minister said a new variant of the disease could not be foreseen.