A group of 72 MPs have condemned the BBC for its 鈥渦nfair鈥 and 鈥減essimistic鈥 coverage of Brexit.
Solihull MP Julian Knight (Con), who used to be a journalist, led the criticism.
He wrote a letter demanding BBC managers 鈥渢ake steps to correct these flaws in the BBC鈥檚 coverage of our EU exit鈥.
And it was signed by fellow MPs including Bill Cash (Con Stone), Michael Fabricant (Con Lichfield), Daniel Kawczynski (Con Shrewsbury and Atcham) and Owen Paterson (Con North Shropshire).
But they came under fire from MP Tom Watson - who demanded that Prime Minister step in to defend the BBC's independence.
Mr Watson (Lab West Bromwich East) spoke out in his role as Labour鈥檚 Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary.
He said: 鈥淭he BBC is one of the world鈥檚 finest news broadcasters and we should all value its impartiality, integrity and balanced coverage. It is the BBC鈥檚 job to report the facts, not to be a cheerleader for any cause or party.
鈥淎ll politicians sometimes dislike the way some stories are covered, but we should never seek to interfere with the independence of the BBC by publicly accusing it of bias and making implicit threats about its future.鈥
Mrs May and the Government鈥檚 Culture Secretary, Staffordshire MP Karen Bradley, should defend the BBC, he said.
鈥淭heresa May and Karen Bradley must make clear their commitment to the independence of the BBC and distance themselves from attacks on it by politicians who have an agenda the BBC does not and should not share.鈥
The letter was sent to BBC Director General Tony Hall, a former pupil at King Edward鈥檚 School in Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Most of the MPs signing it were but three Labour MPs, eight DUP MPs, two DUP peers and 海角视频IP鈥檚 only MP, Douglas Carswell, also added their names.
They said the BBC has fallen 鈥渇ar short" of its obligation to provide balanced coverage, warning 鈥渋f politicians and the public don鈥檛 view it as an impartial broker, then the future of the BBC will be in doubt鈥.
The MPs and peers claimed the BBC had 鈥渟kewed鈥 good economic news since the June referendum, adding: 鈥淪o-called 鈥榙espite Brexit鈥 reporting may be expected of a partisan press, but licence fee-payers have the right to expect better.鈥
They added: 鈥淭he BBC has a much larger market share than any newspaper - it runs the most-used news website in the country, on top of its television and radio coverage.
鈥淭his, as well as viewers鈥 belief in its neutrality, means that BBC bias can have a substantial effect on the national debate.
鈥淏BC coverage also shapes international perceptions of the 海角视频: we fear that, by misrepresenting our country either as xenophobic or regretful of the Leave vote, the BBC will undermine our efforts to carve out a new, global role for this country.
鈥淲e are therefore asking you to take steps to correct these flaws in the BBC鈥檚 coverage of our EU exit at the earliest moment.鈥
But the BBC dismissed the criticism, saying in a statement: 鈥淲hile we are always live to our critics and understand that passions are running high on all sides of the debate, it is the job of the BBC to scrutinise and analyse the issues on behalf of the public and to hold politicians to account across the political spectrum.
鈥淭hat is what the BBC has been doing. It is what the BBC will continue to do. It is precisely because of this that the public trusts the BBC.鈥
