NICE of a BBC high heid yin, Ian Small, to break cover in support of BBC “impartiality”, in the light of pro-Boris Johnson “errors in editing” (Letters, November 27). In the 2015 election David Cameron threatened to “close down the BBC”, as reported by the BBC's then political editor, Nick Robinson: this at a time when the BBC felt vulnerable to pressure from the Tories, their supporters in the media, not least those with an interest in satellite/digital broadcasting. After the election Mr Cameron had a meeting with Tony Hall, and a fierce critic of the BBC, John Whittingdale, was appointed Culture Secretary. What was agreed at the Cameron/Hall meeting has never been disclosed, but in my opinion the BBC thence took on a subservient role vis-à-vis the Tory Government.

It would be helpful if the BBC was subject to normal rules on Freedom of Information, as so much of what goes on is kept secret from the very people who fund the corporation, and none of it is down to protecting “journalism”. What was said, and by whom, when the Scotland channel was being proposed for example, should be in the public domain: it’s our money and the BBC must stop acting like Pravda.

As for BBC bias, Ms Johnson has come to Scotland three times in this campaign and has yet to meet a single member of the public – why is that not a subject for serious questions? Why is the SNP (I am not a member) singled out for continual interruption in interviews it has with BBC staff? Why is a health scandal in Scotland given such prominence by the BBC during this election, when a much worse heath scandal in England (involving dozens of children’s deaths, and hundreds of cases) is given scant airtime? Why is there a lack of context when BBC staff discuss issues in the various countries of the UK? The BBC Trust pulled the BBC up more than once about this, but it has made no difference.

GR Weir, Ochiltree.

IAN Small robustly rejects claims that the BBC is "unfair and unbalanced". Recent examples which spring to mind of the BBC being unfair and unbalanced are the fact that over the course of a month, 69 politicians appeared on Newsnight and none was from the SNP, in spite of the SNP being the third-largest party at Westminster; and the George Square rally a couple of weeks ago, where BBC cameras showed Nicola Sturgeon on the stage applauding, but not the thousands of people at the rally to whom she was applauding. Nigel Farage was for years almost a permanent fixture on Question Time, and then there is the infamous chap in the orange jacket, who has at least four times popped up on Question Time when it came from Scotland and was always invited to express his anti-independence rhetoric.

I would suggest to Mr Small that there is plenty of evidence to explain why many viewers have lost confidence in the BBC and believe that its political reporting is unfair and unbalanced. Either that, or it is simply inefficient and inept.

Ruth Marr, Stirling.