Conservatives 'planning to scrap BBC Trust'
Conservatives 'planning to scrap BBC Trust'
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By Matt Hallam. |  |
Wednesday, 03, Feb 2010 04:31
By Alex Steger.
The Conservatives are reportedly planning on scrapping the BBC Trust if they win the coming general election.
According to reports the move would see Trust chairman Michael Lyon leave his post and a new body created answerable to license-fee payers.
As part of the alleged shake-up the Conservatives would create a new non-executive chairman who would work along side BBC director general Mark Thompson.
It has emerged though that Tory leader David Cameron will face a battle to implement the plans as sources at the trust say that senior figures will fight the changes.
The party though believe that the changes can be carried out within the boundaries of the BBC royal charter and that they would create a body more effective at representing the interests of license-fee payers.
Michael Lyons has chaired the BBC Trust since shortly after its inception in January 2007. Although Conservative sources said they would not try to force the chairman out a senior Tory MP told The Times newspaper that Sir Michael, whose term of office expires in April 2011, had intimated to the party that he would step down rather than face a fight with a newly elected government.
The Tory MP told the paper: "We believe that these measures will lead to a change in the culture of the corporation's governance, which will allow the trust to focus on holding the executive to account on behalf of licence fee payers."
Commenting on the Conservatives plans, Don Foster, Liberal Democrat shadow culture, media and sport secretary, said: "When the BBC Trust was proposed, the Tories were silent. Only the Liberal Democrats argued its dual role as flag waver and regulator was ridiculous. The BBC Trust needs to be replaced but with a new, truly independent regulator for all public service broadcasting. "
"The government's defence of the BBC looks rather hollow next to its proposals to 'top-slice' parts of the licence fee for other government projects, a move that threatens the independence of the corporation."
A BBC spokesman said in response to the reports: "We are not going to comment on speculation. What matters to audiences is that they receive quality content and services from the BBC. To that end the trust and Sir Michael are getting on with the job of getting the best out of the BBC for licence-fee payers."