The Boardroom Confrontation That Sparked a Crisis
What began as a routine board meeting at the BBC turned into an explosive confrontation that would ultimately claim the jobs of two of the corporation's most senior executives. Deborah Turness, then head of BBC News, arrived expecting business as usual, only to find herself facing a coordinated attack over an unexpected agenda item.
The confrontation centred on an 8,000-word memo from Michael Prescott, former external adviser to the BBC's editorial guidelines and standards committee. Prescott, once political editor of the Rupert Murdoch-owned Sunday Times, had sent the document to board chair Samir Shah and all members, making sweeping claims of institutional bias at the broadcaster.
Sources described how Turness was "on the rack" for more than an hour as Prescott's criticisms were systematically laid out. The allegations included claims that Panorama had edited together two parts of a Donald Trump speech without informing viewers, alongside accusations about coverage of Gaza and trans rights.
The Political Operative Behind the Push
Multiple sources identified board member Robbie Gibb as leading the charge against Turness. Gibb, who served as Theresa May's communications chief and helped found rightwing channel GB News, has previously been accused of interfering in stories he perceived as left-leaning or "woke".
Insiders revealed that Gibb's influence was magnified by the board's lack of editorial expertise, giving him "a lot of oxygen in the room". His position was strengthened when a board member supportive of the BBC's editorial efforts was absent, while others felt unqualified to intervene.
"Robbie and his acolytes are organised and the other side is not," one source commented, describing what many saw as a coordinated political operation.
The situation escalated when the Telegraph newspaper began publishing stories based on Prescott's leaked letter. At a second board meeting the following Thursday, pressure intensified on Turness as members debated their response to the allegations.
The Resignations and Wider Political Context
After the second meeting, Turness concluded that support for her leadership was evaporating and decided to resign. Her departure was quickly followed by that of director general Tim Davie, in a move that surprised even board members.
BBC insiders see the events as part of a broader political campaign dating back to Boris Johnson's government, which sought to shift the stance of institutions perceived as too liberal. Gibb was appointed to the BBC board during Johnson's premiership, and The Guardian has been told he was instrumental in securing Prescott's advisory role on the editorial guidelines committee.
The connection between Gibb and Prescott extends beyond professional ties - the two men have been reported as friends, though neither has denied this. This relationship contributes to what critics describe as an alliance pursuing the same political cause within the BBC.
Meanwhile, the corporation's response to the crisis has drawn internal criticism. Insiders say Turness wanted to apologise promptly for the Trump editing error to enable a robust defence against broader bias claims, but was blocked by chair Samir Shah.
"There was a deafening silence and it got worse as the week on," one figure noted, while another said Turness was "blocked from commenting by the chair".
The resignations leave the BBC leaderless during crucial negotiations about its future funding through the licence fee. Senior editors meeting to discuss the fallout expressed "shock and real sadness", with many questioning whether running the BBC remains feasible in such a politically hostile environment.
As BBC presenter Nick Robinson observed, neither Turness nor Davie explained what they believed had gone wrong, leaving fundamental questions unanswered about this extraordinary chapter in the corporation's history.
