The BBC has been accused of “shielding the Labour Party from criticism” over the Birmingham bin crisis. Radio 4’s flagship Today programme did not mention that Labour was in charge of Birmingham City Council during Wednesday’s episode, which featured several items on the strikes, including an interview with the local authority’s leader John Cotton.

Members of Unite walked out on March 11 in a dispute over pay and jobs, leading to rubbish piling up in the streets. Tory Shadow Culture Secretary Stuart Andrew told The Telegraph: “This looks like yet another case of the BBC shielding the Labour Party from criticism. Thanks to Labour’s disastrous management of Birmingham and their refusal to stand up to their union paymasters, residents are being plagued with rats the size of cats and streets overflowing with rubbish reportedly weighing more than the Eiffel Tower.

“Yet in a three-hour programme, which even featured an interview with the council leader, the BBC failed to mention once that Birmingham City Council is run by Labour.” Mr Andrew added that “with local elections approaching, and other areas at risk of becoming ‘another Birmingham’ under Labour, the public deserves a national broadcaster that tells the full story – and the truth about who is responsible”.

During the three-hour show, the broadcaster did not highlight that the under-fire town hall is Labour-run.

Mr Cotton was introduced as “the leader of Birmingham City Council” and asked if he accepted responsibility “personally” for the bins row.

He replied: “I was brought in by my party to address some historic problems with this council … issues around the budget, issues around equal pay, issues around the quality of services.

“I have been focused on delivering that as the leader of this council, and will continue to do so.”

A BBC spokeswoman said on Wednesday: “The Today programme has covered this dispute from all sides in great detail over recent days, including interviews with representatives from the union and Birmingham City Council, and criticism from local residents.

“This morning’s programme featured a robust interview with the council leader, which questioned him about his responsibility and sought to get answers on the likelihood of a resolution with the union.”