BBC director general's resignation 'regrettable' but he was 'right to do so' - culture committee chair

The resignation of the BBC's manager wide was "regrettable" but helium was "right to bash so", the seat of parliament's civilization committee has told Sky News.

Dame Caroline Dinenage said she was not expecting the resignations of Tim Davie and the main enforcement of BBC News Deborah Turness, which they announced connected Sunday evening.

She told Mornings with Ridge and Frost: "I deliberation it's truly regrettable that Tim Davie had to measurement down - immense committedness to the BBC and nationalist work broadcasting.

"But I deliberation helium was close to bash so. I deliberation restoring spot successful the corp has got to travel first."

BBC latest: Outgoing BBC News brag rejects 'institutional bias'

Dame Caroline, who volition seat a culture, media and athletics committee gathering connected Tuesday wherever the contented volition beryllium discussed, said the BBC was "very dilatory to react" to a leaked study by Michael Prescott, an autarkic advisor to the BBC's editorial guidelines and standards board.

The dossier, sent to the BBC committee and leaked to The Daily Telegraph, accused a Panorama peculiar connected Donald Trump, released a week earlier the 2024 US election, of being "neither balanced nor impartial - it seemed to beryllium taking a distinctly anti-Trump stance".

He besides said the programme had spliced 2 clips from abstracted parts of Mr Trump's code to his supporters connected 6 January 2021, the time of the Capitol Hill riots, to springiness the "impression that Trump had incited protesters to tempest Capital Hill".

Mr Prescott besides raised bias concerns astir the BBC's sum of trans issues and the warfare successful Gaza.

Dame Caroline accused the BBC of failing to instrumentality his study earnestly "until it was excessively late".

Ms Turness arrived astatine the BBC's cardinal London office connected Monday morning, wherever she admitted "mistakes are made" but said determination is "no organization bias".

She defended the BBC's journalists, saying "of course" they are not corrupt and they "strive for impartiality".

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Dame Caroline said the concern "has to power the BBC charter decisions".

The BBC's Royal Charter outlines the corporation's mission, nationalist purposes and governance, on with circumstantial obligations and however it is funded.

It is up for renewal successful 2027, with the authorities presently carrying retired a reappraisal to find the BBC's future, including its backing exemplary and mission.

Dame Caroline said the past review, 10 years before, enactment integrity arsenic the BBC's apical missions.

She added: "I deliberation the charter has to look astatine however the BBC retains its equilibrium and its integrity, however it retains the spot of the British radical and the licence interest payer, because, you know, that's perfectly cardinal for the aboriginal of the BBC.

"But really it reflects upon america arsenic a nation, due to the fact that the BBC is specified a good known and specified a good respected marque astir the world."

BBC seat Samir Shah is expected to apologise successful a missive to Dame Caroline's committee aboriginal today.