Labour has called for "clarity and reassurance" from the BBC after the director general of the corporation was photographed going into a meeting in Downing Street to apparently discuss coverage of government spending cuts. Shadow culture secretary Ben Bradshaw wrote to Mark Thompson urging him to "avoid any impression that the BBC's editorial independence may have been compromised". Mr Bradshaw raised his concerns after Mr Thompson reportedly met one of Prime Minister David Cameron's senior aides to talk about offering prominent exposure to senior government figures on BBC channels in the coming weeks. The meeting, said to be with Mr Cameron's strategy chief Steve Hilton, appeared to be an attempt by Mr Thompson to assure senior Tory figures that the BBC was not biased against the Government, the Daily Telegraph reported. It came on the same day the director general admitted in an interview that the Corporation was guilty of a "massive bias to the left" in the past. According to the Daily Mail, Thursday's photographs showed Mr Thompson arriving at Number 10 holding with a memo stating the BBC was ready to put its coverage of spending cuts into "context". The memo revealed Mr Thompson's head of news Helen Boaden had met Downing Street director of communications Andy Coulson for lunch at which he expressed "concern" about coverage of the forthcoming comprehensive spending review, the paper reported. The letter from Mr Bradshaw said: "Given the systematic assaults on the BBC by the Conservative Party in opposition and their continued attacks on the Corporation in Government, including their threats to the licence fee, I am sure you will agree that it is paramount that you avoid any impression that the BBC's editorial independence may have been compromised." He said Mr Thompson should consider releasing the briefing papers he was seen holding as he walked into No 10. In his letter, Mr Bradshaw asked who requested the meeting, the BBC or Downing Street. | 
