BBC to face major showdown with Culture Secretary today over Huw Edwards child abuse shame
Lisa Nandy will have some urgent questions for the corporation's director general after their extraordinary admission this week.
Huw Edwards arrives at court in London
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is to haul in the head of the BBC today for an urgent meeting over the corporation's involvement in the Huw Edwards scandal.
Ms Nandy, appointed to the top job by Keir Starmer four weeks ago, is set to demand answers on who in the BBC knew what when after they issued an extraordinary statement this week.
The meeting comes as the BBC said it was told about Mr Edwards’s arrest in November 2023, however still gave him a £40,000 pay rise despite knowledge of the pending scandal.
It’s been reported that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have major concerns about the broadcaster’s handling of its latest scandal, not least due to the involvement of taxpayers’ money.
After the BBC learned of their star presenter’s arrest last year, they continued to pay him his whopping £480,000 salary for a further five months.
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
It is not known whether Ms Nandy’s meeting with Mr Davie will be face-to-face, or via phone call, as she heads out to the Olympics in Paris.
After Mr Edwards pleaded guilty this week, a spokesman for the corporation revealed they had been “made aware in confidence” last November that he had “been arrested on suspicion of serious offences and released on bail whilst the police continued their investigation”.
He said: "At the time, no charges had been brought against Mr Edwards and the BBC had also been made aware of significant risk to his health.
"If at any point during the period Mr Edwards was employed by the BBC he had been charged, the BBC had determined it would act immediately to dismiss him. In the end, at the point of charge he was no longer an employee of the BBC.”
The spokesman emphasised that the BBC had "kept its corporate management of these issues separate from its independent editorial functions" during this period.
Don't miss...
Lord Frost says this Tory candidate has his support to become the next leader [LATEST]
Labour betrayed by union as junior doctors plan more strikes after 22% pay rise [LATEST]
Nigel Farage's five-word slapdown as he’s called ‘Tommy Robinson in a suit’ [LATEST]
Mr Edwards was suspended from the BBC in July 2023 following reports in the Sun that he had paid a young man for sexually explicit images, however the Met Police said they found no evidence of criminal behaviour regarding the Sun’s story.
However Mr Edwards was later found out when a separate investigation into a Welsh paedophile revealed the images and videos sent to the BBC star.
Ms Nandy’s demand for a meeting echoes concerns raised by her Tory opposite Julia Lopez, who said that licence fee payers “have a right to know”.
She said: “Licence fee payers have a right to know why Mr Edwards was awarded such a high salary given the timing and nature of the allegations.
“Questions must be answered about what BBC bosses knew and for how long.”
An internal note from Tim Davie to BBC staff this week thanked staff for their “professionalism in carrying on with your jobs in difficult circumstances”.
This morning, Labour MP Jon Trickett also said there was a class dimension to the way the BBC had handled the scandal.
He asked: “Would a cleaner, a cook or a joiner have been kept on full pay by the BBC in these circumstances? I doubt it.”
