New BBC chairman lacks the strength to stand up to bosses, say MPs
The new chairman of the BBC does not have the “strength and character” needed to challenge the corporation’s bosses, MPs have said.
In a scathing assessment of Samir Shah’s suitability for the role, the Commons culture select committee said it had “serious reservations” over his willingness to offer opinions on fundamental issues facing the BBC.
They said although he was “appointable”, they questioned whether he had the ability to provide “robust challenge” to the leadership of the BBC board.
Although they did not block the appointment of Mr Shah, the Government’s preferred candidate, they effectively put him on probation by demanding he return to be questioned by them again in three months’ time to show he had addressed their concerns.
Mr Shah previously worked in BBC news and current affairs and was head of its political journalism programmes from 1994 to 1998.
Dame Caroline Dinenage, the committee chairman, said: “We were disappointed that Mr Shah was unwilling to express a view on such fundamental principles as board-level interference and political impartiality, nor demonstrate an appetite for the robust challenge that is needed at the top of the BBC.
“It is now for the Government to consider whether to go ahead with the appointment. If they decide to proceed, we expect Mr Shah to appear before us in the new year to demonstrate he has addressed our concerns.”
Mr Shah appeared before the committee earlier this week. He was unwilling to comment on a wide range of issues, although he did suggest that TV presenter Gary Lineker may have breached BBC guidelines with his tweets.
In a report on the hearing, published on Friday, the MPs said: “We were disappointed that Mr Shah was not willing to express a view on fundamental principles, such as board-level interference in the BBC and other bodies and on political impartiality.
“In his evidence to us, Dr Shah did not sufficiently demonstrate the strength and character that is needed to challenge the executive leadership of the BBC.
“While we are of the view that Dr Shah is appointable as chair, we have serious reservations about his willingness to offer his opinions and insight on some of the most fundamental issues facing the corporation, and his ability to provide the robust challenge that the BBC leadership requires at this time.
“If the Government chooses to proceed with the appointment of Dr Shah as chair of the BBC board, we expect him to appear before the committee within the first three months of appointment to demonstrate that he has sufficiently considered and addressed our concerns.”
On Wednesday, Mr Shah faced tough questioning by the committee over Sir Robbie Gibb, the BBC board member and former Tory spin doctor.
‘I will do everything to make the BBC valuable’
Mr Shah declined to criticise Sir Robbie over allegations that he attempted to interfere in the Government’s appointment of the Ofcom chairman and that he had lectured Newsnight staff on impartiality. Mr Shah said he could not comment without hearing the evidence.
He said he would review the broadcaster’s coverage of the Israel-Hamas war if appointed to the job. He also said that Lineker appeared to have breached BBC guidelines on social media use.
Asked what message he would give to licence-fee payers, Mr Shah said: “My message to the viewer and listener, the licence fee holder, is that I will do everything in my power to make the BBC valuable to you and to your household.
“It becomes something that you care about and it matters to you.”
Andrew Neil, the TV presenter, leapt to Mr Shah’s defence, tweeting: “The Commons committee report on the new BBC chair, Samir Shah, manages to be both ludicrous and pompous, the product of puffed up MPs, most with their best days behind them, who could never aspire to chair the BBC themselves.
“It doesn’t sound anything like the hearing I watched. Maybe there is some petty politics going on here.
“Underestimate Samir Shah at your peril. He is his own man. He will make his own judgements and do what he thinks right, rather than what individual politicians grinding their own axes might demand.”
Two years ago, the same committee praised Richard Sharp as the Government’s candidate for BBC chairman, despite claims he was too close to Boris Johnson.
The then committee chairman Julian Knight said: “Richard Sharp impressed the DCMS Committee with his understanding of how the BBC needs to compete and perform while delivering public service value in a changing media world.”
A government spokesman said: “We thank the Committee for their report, which confirms their view that Dr Shah is appointable for the role of BBC Chair.
“Dr Shah’s over 40-year career in TV production and journalism coupled with his ambition to see the BBC succeed make him well equipped to take on the job. We will review the committee’s recommendations in greater detail and respond in due course.”
