A Labour minister ducked a grilling from Political Editor Christopher Hope over whether Tim Davie was right to resign as director-general of the BBC.
Louise Sandher-Jones spoke to the GB News presenter along with co-host Ellie Costello about recent departures from the broadcaster.
It was announced on Sunday that Mr Davie has quit, the broadcaster, alongside BBC News chief executive Deborah Turness, following intense pressure after a series of scandals.
Asked if Mr Davie was right to resign, Ms Sandher-Jones said: “As the Culture Secretary [Lisa Nandy] said, we recognise his contributions over the past few years.
“Yes, it is important and it’s important that there is accountability when there are failings.
“I think both Tim and Deborah acknowledged the importance of taking accountability for when there are editorial failings of this manner.
“As you know, I’ve got military service. Values and standards is absolutely fundamental to the leadership model that we are taught.
“And so from from my perspective, I think it’s very important to know as a leader that you are responsible and accountable for actions of the teams that you lead.”
Louise Sandher-Jones spoke to Christopher Hope presenter with co-host Ellie Costello
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GB NEWS
However, noticing that she had failed to give him a straight answer, Christopher interrupted: “It’s a yes or no, isn’t it?”
Responding to Mr Davie’s resignation, Ms Nandy said: “I want to thank Tim Davie for his service to public broadcasting over many years.
“He has led the BBC through a period of significant change and helped the organisation to grip the challenges it has faced in recent years.”
She went on further to laud the BBC as “one of our most important national institutions”.
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The veterans minister further dodged another question of whether more resignations should follow those of the BBC chiefs.
However, Ms Sandher-Jones brushed off the question, simplying dubbing it a “matter for the BBC”.
“As a Government minister, it wouldn’t be right for me to opine on who should and shouldn’t be working there,” she claimed.
The Labour MP recognised the “editorial failings” at the BBC, adding: “It’s fallen below the standards, the very high standards that the public have a right to expect.”
Ms Turness has insisted the BBC does not have any institutional bias
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PA
The broadcaster is gearing up to grovel to MPs on Monday after mounting concerns over impartiality and possible bias burden the media giant.
It has come under particular scrutiny over the way staffers edited together footage from US President Donald Trump’s speech on January 6, 2021 to make it look as if he told supporters to “fight like hell” during a Panorama episode.
The BBC has also suffered allegations of antisemitism under Mr Davie’s watch.
One BBC guest, who declared that Jews must be burned “as Hitler did”, appeared on the broadcaster 244 times within 18 months.
A second man said Israelis were “less than human” and Jews were “devils” appeared on BBC Arabic 522 times during the same period.
Nevertheless, Ms Turness insisted on Monday that the BBC does not have any institutional bias.
Speaking outside the BBC’s London Headquarters, she told reporters: “There is no institutional bias.
“Mistakes are made, but there’s no institutional bias.”