Conservatives go to war on 'bias" at the BBC Over the past few months, Mr Duncan Smith has been particularly angered by the reporting of the housing benefit reforms referred to as "the bedroom tax" by Labour and the BBC. The changes will mean reduced payments for anyone living in council or housing association properties that have more bedrooms than they are judged to need. "You could look at the BBC's TV news coverage [of this policy] and think this was a change that would apply only to disabled people," one government source said. We have allocated £155 million for local authorities to help soften the blow of the measure, but this never features in the BBC's news coverage. How is it possible not to think that is biased? Details of the increasingly fractious relationship come just days after David Cameron criticised the BBC for behaving "badly" and "stupidly" in its coverage of next week's Eastleigh by-election. The Prime Minister berated the broadcaster for thinking its coverage was the "most important thing in this by-election" when the Tory candidate declined to attend one of its hustings events. However, the touch paper was lit by the appointment of James Purnell, the former Labour culture secretary, to the BBC's board. He is to be paid £295,000 a year as director of strategy. "This gives the impression that there is a swing door policy between Labour and the BBC," said one ministerial aide, adding that the appointment had "lit the touch paper" on a range of grievances. The director of strategy post has been created by Lord Hall, the director-general in waiting who joins the BBC in April and who hand-picked Mr Purnell for the job, which was never advertised. The BBC said the new director-general "did not want to waste time with a long and costly recruitment process" for the role. A similar post at a commercial broadcaster would pay more, it added. However, a senior ministerial adviser pointed out that Lord Hall was appointed by Labour to lead the Royal Opera House in 2001. At that time, Mr Purnell was working in Downing Street under Tony Blair, but there is no suggestion that he had a hand in Lord Hall's appointment. "It is beyond a joke," the source said of the decision. It all looks far too cosy. John Whittingdale, the Conservative chairman of the Commons Culture Committee, said he would ask Lord Hall about the appointment when he is next before the committee. Mr Whittingdale will meet fellow committee members tomorrow to see if there is an appetite to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr Purnell's job. Philip Davies, a Conservative MP on the committee, described the former Labour MP's selection as "totally unacceptable" and "very provocative," adding: "It is not as if the BBC is not already over-balanced with Left-leaning people. If Lord Hall thinks the answer to the BBC's problems is picking this former Labour minister for such a senior role it shows he does not have a good grasp of what is really going wrong at the corporation. A further complaint has come from Mr Shapps about a report on BBC1"s News at 10 investigating the Coalition's "new homes bonus," a grant paid to councils that build more homes. Downing Street also complained late last year about the conduct of Evan Davis, the presenter of Radio 4"s Today programme, when interviewing George Osborne. He repeatedly talked over the Chancellor and was accused of "shouting down" Mr Osborne by Tory MPs. A BBC spokesman said: "Our coverage of government policy is approached in the same independent and impartial way as our coverage of any story." The BBC also said an individual's personal views did not impact on their ability to carry out their work in an impartial manner and there were strict guidelines which must be observed at all times. Peter Oborne: Page 22