Tory MPs attack BBC's decision not to provide live coverage of the 65th anniversary of VJ Day for all its licence feepayers

By Tim Montgomerie

David Cameron rightly delayed the start of his summer holiday to lead the tributes but Tory MPs are disappointed that the BBC did not provide live coverage of the commemoration of Victory over Japan on BBC1 or BBC2.

Former soldier Patrick Mercer MP commented:

"The troops in Burma always called themselves the Forgotten Army. Now their final victory is being snubbed as well. The BBC would do well to remember every major victory. This was the final defeat of Britain's enemies."

Philip Davies MP, member of the Commons Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport told the Daily Mail:

"I think there seems on the face of it very little excuse for a public service broadcaster, wholly funded by the licence fee payer, to behave like this. What's the point of having a publicly-funded broadcaster if they are not prepared to screen that kind of thing, which is their core purpose? It casts into question the point of having a public sector broadcaster."