The BBC is embarking on a significant organisational shake-up, introducing a new deputy director general position and overhauling its key editorial standards committee. This move comes in direct response to a damaging internal crisis over allegations of political bias and concerns that leading the corporation is now too vast a responsibility for a single individual.
A Leadership Crisis and Structural Change
The planned changes follow the abrupt resignations of Tim Davie, the director general, and Deborah Turness, the head of BBC News. Their departures were triggered by difficult board-level discussions concerning a memo written by Michael Prescott, a former independent adviser to the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee (EGSC).
Prescott's memo, which was leaked to the Daily Telegraph, accused the corporation of exhibiting liberal bias in its coverage of topics including Donald Trump, Gaza, and trans rights. While the BBC acknowledged an "error of judgment" in the editing of a Trump speech for a Panorama programme, it has contested the majority of Prescott's other claims.
Diluting Influence and Expanding Panels
Central to the internal conflict is the role of Robbie Gibb, a BBC board member appointed by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Gibb, who served as Theresa May's communications chief and identifies as a "proper Thatcherite Conservative," has faced internal accusations of persistently raising criticisms of the BBC's output from a right-wing perspective.
Gibb also played a part in appointing Prescott to his advisory role and currently sits on the influential EGSC. In its last two meetings, the committee was comprised of only four full members: Gibb, Davie, Turness, and BBC chair Samir Shah. In a move to prevent any single voice from dominating, the BBC now plans to expand the membership of the EGSC, thereby diluting Gibb's influence.
This has not gone unnoticed in political circles. Anna Sabine, the Liberal Democrats' culture spokesperson, stated, "The crisis at the BBC... stems directly from years of Conservative cronyism." She joined voices, including the Bectu union, in calling for Gibb's removal from the board, citing a lack of staff faith in leadership.
Reinforcing Leadership for the Future
Alongside the editorial committee reforms, BBC Chair Samir Shah has concluded that the challenges of running the corporation are now so immense that the next director general requires a deputy. This new deputy director general role is intended to share the substantial burden of oversight, a concern that predated the recent turmoil.
As key figures prepare to appear before the culture, media and sport committee, the BBC finds itself navigating one of the most turbulent periods in its recent history. The dual actions of restructuring its editorial oversight and reinforcing its top leadership represent a direct attempt to stabilise the corporation and restore confidence in its famed impartiality.
