'He was one of the most genuinely helpful and pleasant individuals I have ever met'

MP for Ellesmere Port

ONE infamous broadcast a quarter of a century ago has placed the future of the BBC under the microscope yet again. Millions of viewers watched the exclusive interview of Princess Diana with Martin Bashir who was lauded for years for what was regarded as the scoop of all journalistic scoops about Diana’s unhappy marriage to Prince Charles. Twenty-five years later, Mr Bashir has now been roundly condemned after being accused of ‘unreliable’, ‘dishonest’ and ‘deceitful’ behaviour by former judge Lord John Dyson in his official ‘cover up’ investigation of events leading up to the 1995 Panorama programme.

However, what is accepted as one very big mistake all those years ago is giving fresh impetus to critics of the publicly-owned British Broadcast Corporation which will mark its 100-year birthday in 2022.Oliver Dowden, the Government’s Culture Secretary, has already warned that the BBC is in line for major changes, adding that the Lord Dyson inquiry had exposed "failures that strike at the heart of our national broadcaster's values and culture".And Home Secretary Priti Patel has said next year’s review of the BBC charter will be “a very, very significant moment” for the corporation’s governance structures, giving a clear indication that ministers are considering potentially sweeping changes to how the corporation is run.

It goes without saying that the BBC needs to uphold the highest of editorial standards and that has always been the case. I have little doubt that the many talented journalists working for the corporation in the UK and across the globe set out to uphold professional integrity but I am concerned that all this pressure from the Government risks it bowing to those concerns and becoming the broadcaster of the state rather than a state broadcaster. For millions of viewers the BBC remains their preferred choice for major news and sporting occasions and their reputation as an impartial broadcaster is at risk from political pressure. While recognising that a failure to uphold high standards leading up to the Panorama exclusive has caused long-standing and deep-rooted damage for members of the Royal family and for Princess Diana’s family, it should not give rise to a free-for-all for those who set out to damage the BBC’s long-term future or who wish it to merely trumpet the Government’s lines.

I was saddened to learn of the death over the weekend of Little Sutton resident Graham Penness. I first met Graham over 20 years ago when I became a Borough Councillor in Ledsham and Graham was active in what was known at the time as the Ledsham Action Group. He has been involved in a great many local and national campaigns over the course of his life and in 2015 was recognised for his work when he received the British Citizen Award. He was one of the most genuinely helpful and pleasant individuals I have ever met and I know just from his work in Little Sutton how many hours he has put in over the years trying to get the best for his community. My condolences to his wife Joan and the family, he will be missed.