Priti Patel refuses to say she trusts the BBC and warns its ‘reputation has been compromised’

The Home Secretary has refused to say whether she trusts the BBC as she criticised the broadcaster’s bosses for failing to reassure the public in the wake of the Lord Dyson report into Martin Bashir's Panorama interview with Princess Diana.

Priti Patel said the BBC’s “reputation has been compromised” and warned that it would have to “regain and rebuild trust and confidence”.

However, asked by Trevor Phillips on Sunday whether she “personally trusted” the corporation, Ms Patel would not comment, instead saying she was “conscious of the hurt, the damage that this report has highlighted”. She added: “There's no question about that – trust and confidence has been undermined.”

It comes after a six-month inquiry led by Lord Dyson, a former Master of the Rolls, who accused the BBC of effectively covering up wrongdoing by Bashir.

The report found that Bashir used “deceitful behaviour” in a "serious breach" of the broadcaster's guidelines to secure the interview with Diana for Panorama in 1995.

Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Ms Patel questioned why no representatives from the BBC were appearing on news shows to respond to the allegations.

She asked: “Where is the BBC, you know, the leadership of the BBC at this moment in time? Why aren’t they out there publicly, giving confidence and building confidence in terms of the publication of this report?

“The BBC did not put anyone up this morning to even answer questions in the same way that I'm here answering questions on some of my area and the Government later on.”

Ms Patel said the BBC “will have a great deal of work to do in this particular area”, adding: “Right now is a very, very important time for the BBC to very much look at itself and learn very important lessons from the publication of this report.”

She did not rule out criminal prosecutions as a result of the report’s findings. Scotland Yard has said it will study the report to assess whether it contains any “significant new evidence”.

Ms Patel said: “If there is subsequent action that needs to be taken, then clearly – alongside the publication of this report and lessons being learned and changes, changes to the institution, structure, governance, accountability – then that will follow.”

She added that the forthcoming mid-term review of the BBC charter would be a “very, very significant moment” for the corporation, saying: “There will be an opportunity not only for reflection but an opportunity to look at governance reforms and how effectively accountability and governance can be strengthened.

“There will be a very, very significant moment now – there is no question about this – where lessons have to be learned.”