Gibb says \u2018board coup\u2019 description is \u2018most ridiculous charge\u2019<\/p>\n
MP: Sir Robbie, there\u2019s been a lot of speculation in the media, including from BBC<\/a> journalists, saying that what\u2019s happened to the BBC over the last couple of weeks was a board-level orchestrated coup, if you like. Can you just address that for me now?<\/p>\n Gibb: \u201cIt\u2019s up there as on the most ridiculous charges \u2026 it\u2019s complete nonsense. It\u2019s also deeply offensive to fellow board members who, as, Samir was saying, are people of great standing in different fields. The idea that somehow I had, I\u2019m not even sure what the charges are, to be honest.<\/p>\n Thomson also says she certainly does nothing that \u201canything I saw in the last couple of weeks as being a coup for any kind of orchestrated board level\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.11 EST<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n Blog closing<\/p>\n This blog is now closing. Below is our full story:<\/p>\n Claims of \u201cserious and systemic problems\u201d in the corporation\u2019s coverage of issues including Donald Trump<\/a>, Gaza and trans issues, which led to the resignation of its director general, Tim Davie, have been disputed by a former adviser to the corporation.<\/p>\n Deborah Turness, the head of BBC<\/a> News, also resigned after the allegations by Michael Prescott, a PR executive and former independent external adviser to the BBC\u2019s editorial guidelines and standards committee (EGSC).<\/p>\n Prescott\u2019s memo, sent to the BBC\u2019s board and eventually leaked to the Daily Telegraph, contained a series of claims of bias in relation to issues including Trump and racial diversity.<\/p>\n He claimed the corporation\u2019s leaders had ignored his concerns or not properly followed through on mistakes.<\/p>\n However, speaking to the Commons culture, media and sport committee, an adviser who served alongside Prescott as an external EGSC adviser said Prescott\u2019s view did not provide the full picture and was his \u201cpersonal account\u201d.<\/p>\n Read more here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Committee questioning has come to an end<\/p>\n The session has come to an end. We will bring you any major updates or reactions as they come in.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Shah has committed to staying in post. He says: \u201cMy job now is to steady the ship and put it on an even keel.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not somebody who walks away from a problem.<\/p>\n \u201cI think my job is not to fix it and lead the search for a new director-general.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Shah says role of director-general is \u201ctoo big for one person\u201d.<\/p>\n Shah says he is \u201cinclined\u201d to restructure the BBC\u2019s executive after commenting that the role of director-general is \u201ctoo big for one person\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my view [the role of director-general] is too big for one person.\u201d<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cThe BBC needs to be the beacon of impartial journalism, it absolutely does.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are living in a world over the next 10 years where people need to trust us and we need to have focused our journalism.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m inclined to restructure the executive in the future, once we get a new director.<\/p>\n \u201cThe lens through which we examine potential candidates for the director-general includes the idea that there will be a deputy director-general, who would be focused on journalism.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Shah also responds to the question about the broadcaster appealing to Reform UK voters.<\/p>\n He says the BBC<\/a> news division must \u201creflect the point of view across the country\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe do a lot of research on various demographics. We want to, for example, we need to make sure levels of trust are just as high among young people and this is normal business.<\/p>\n Referring to a geographical survey, he said: \u201cOne of the things about geography which I\u2019m very exercised by is that support for the BBC declines as you go farther north. This is a very, very big issue for the BBC,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Gibb and Shah are asked about plans for the broadcaster to appeal Reform UK voters and whether there will be \u201csomething similar planned for Green voters\u201d.<\/p>\n Gibb says there was concern about hostility towards the BBC<\/a> from Reform UK voters, compared to Labour voters who, according to him, are largely supportive of the broadcaster.<\/p>\n Gibb says BBC exec are \u201cmassively alert\u201d, adding: \u201cThis issue is something that\u2019s very close to my heart, [the] issue about allocation of airtime to different political parties\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Shah has backed Gibb again, calling him \u201cinterested in impartiality and accuracy\u201d after being asked whether he is \u201coverly politically biased\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Gibb says he has no intention of resigning<\/p>\n Gibb says he has no intention of resigning after being asked whether he would be stepping down.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s been lots of stories that are just completely untrue about me in relation to influencing the day to day output,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see I\u2019ve done anything wrong. I\u2019m a passionate defender of the BBC<\/a>. I\u2019m being a passionate defender of its values.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.09 EST<\/p>\n Gibb is asked whether is was \u201csorry that Deborah [Turness] resigned\u201d.<\/p>\n In response, he said: \u201cI was disappointed that that we ended up in this, in the situation that she ended up resigning.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Shah is asked whether there is \u201ca problem with leaks in the BBC<\/a> at the moment\u201d after the internal dossier that sparked the recent troubles for the broadcaster was leaked to the Telegraph.<\/p>\n Shah says he has \u201cinitiated a leak inquiry\u201d, adding: \u201cWe are a journalistic operation, and it doesn\u2019t surprise me that we leak.\u201d<\/p>\n