Lisa Nandy steps into a storm over BBC bias row
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy found herself in the eye of a political cyclone today as she faced an 80-minute grilling in the Commons chamber over a torrent of criticism aimed at the BBC. Fresh from Highlight’s report breaking news of the departures of Director General Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness, along with threats of a $1 billion legal action by Donald Trump, Nandy was tasked with calming furious MPs while defending Britain’s national broadcaster. What unfolded was a delicate dance: firm support for the BBC, repeated acknowledgments of its failings, and a strict refusal to intervene in editorial matters or single out board member Robbie Gibb.
A house divided on the BBC’s future
From the very start, Nandy struck a conciliatory tone, describing the BBC as “the most trusted source of news in this country and many places across the world.” She recalled that even “faced with criticism from all sides,” the Corporation had maintained an institution “that belongs to us all” at a time when fact and opinion are dangerously blurred. Yet Nandy did not shy away from the charges leveled against the BBC in recent days:
- Accusations of bias in coverage of contested issues and political parties.
- Controversial edits in Panorama’s January 6 special, altering Trump’s speech.
- Alleged reluctance to cover certain stories, particularly on the BBC Arabic service.
- Concerns over groupthink and failure to meet the BBC’s own editorial guidelines.
“I support the BBC, but I also recognise it faces challenges of its own making,” Nandy told MPs, thanking Davie and Turness for their service even as she underscored the need for the BBC to “face up” to its critics.
The Robbie Gibb impasse
Perhaps the most explosive demand from MPs came when Labour’s Sarah Owen and others called for the immediate removal of board member Robbie Gibb, former Tory communications chief turned BBC governor. Nandy insisted repeatedly that she could not act outside the “strict legal threshold” governing board appointments. She refused to answer whether she believed Gibb had exacerbated the crisis or should step down. “It is not for the government to direct the BBC’s board,” she maintained, echoing Downing Street’s line that Whitehall must not meddle in editorial governance.
Tory veteran Julian Lewis defended Gibb as unfairly targeted, saying the crisis “has nothing to do with Robbie Gibb.” Yet Nandy’s inability—or refusal—to commit to any stance on his future left many MPs unconvinced. A Lib Dem point of order suggested ministers wield greater removal powers than they admitted, but the culture secretary stuck to her script.
Walking the tightrope of public trust
Nandy repeatedly emphasised the difference between “raising serious concerns” and launching “a sustained attack on the institution.” She warned against the BBC’s fiercest critics, who seek to undermine it wholesale, while sympathising with those demanding accountability. “The BBC stands apart,” she said, calling the World Service “a light on the hill”—an image of the Corporation as a global beacon rather than a domestic political pawn.
Commons voices on all sides
Members from Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens seized every opportunity to press Nandy to promise boardroom intervention. Firebrand Anneliese Midgley demanded a simple answer: “Robbie Gibb: faithful or traitor?” Meanwhile, Conservative MPs, including former culture secretaries Oliver Dowden and John Whittingdale, warned that failure to address internal failings gave ammunition to the BBC’s enemies on the right.
Notably absent were Reform UK MPs—Lee Anderson had decamped to a GB News studio to call Nandy’s address “astonishing.” Opposition leader Nigel Farage was nowhere to be seen in the chamber, though his influence hung over the debate like a shadow.
Defending the national institution
Despite the pressure, Nandy’s resolve remained unshaken. She repeated her support for the BBC’s global mission, acknowledged the depth of public concern over bias, and reiterated the government’s commitment to upholding the Corporation’s independence. “We cannot allow a broadcaster of this stature to be dragged into unresolvable political warfare,” she insisted, her voice neither cracking nor rising throughout the gruelling session.
The crux of Nandy’s message was this: the BBC must reform itself, but must also be shielded from political interference. In this “difficult tightrope,” as one minister privately described it, her role was to defend the BBC’s unique place in British life while conceding that it faces an unprecedented crisis of confidence—one that no single statement from a government minister can entirely resolve.