I agree with the Sage of Sussex about the overblown eulogising of the late Tony Benn (March 19). Predictably, the BBC, with its ingrained leftist-liberal bias, was the worst offender.

This was a man who never led a party nor held major office, and whose conspiracy theorist, unreformed far-left maverick views became increasingly ridiculous.

Yet BBC Radio 4 cancelled programmes in his honour and placed his death at the age of 88 at the head of the midnight news. After the first five minutes of fulsome coverage, I was thinking, “Is there no other point of view?” After ten minutes, “Has nothing more important happened in the world, maybe in Ukraine or Syria?” After 12 minutes... I can’t imagine the BBC giving quite the same coverage, somehow, to Lord Tebbit.

But then Benn was ever the darling of the BBC, for 60 years being invited to pontificate on Any Questions?

I remember how, during the first Gulf War, when the first Scud missiles started flying, the newscaster announced, “And now we’re going over to our radio car at Westminster where...” Yes, you’ve guessed it.

It was not a member of Her Majesty’s Government waiting in that radio car to address the nation, nor even a member of the shadow cabinet. It was the maverick backbencher himself.

Graham Chainey, Marine Parade, Brighton