Hargreaves, Smith apply to join BBC Trust

Former newspaper editor Ian Hargreaves and ex-home secretary Jacqui Smith have applied to join the BBC Trust, it has emerged.

Reports emerged over the weekend that Smith had applied for the £77,000 a year vice-chair role to replace Chitra Bharucha, who is stepping down in October.

Smith famously left her cabinet post after an expenses scandal that included her husband claiming for the cost of watching two pornographic pay-per-view films.

Her application has already faced widespread criticism, with Tory MP Philip Davies telling The Independent: "I have no idea what she thinks she has to offer the BBC Trust.

"Maybe she wants to go down with another sinking ship, like she did with her government. The last thing they need is another Labour luvvie. I just hope they have the sense to blast it out of court."

Hargreaves, who previously edited The Independent and New Statesman, has applied to become the BBC trustee for Wales to replace the outgoing Janet Lewis-Jones, reports The Guardian.

He is currently based at Cardiff University, but has previously worked at Ofcom and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

Applications for the two posts closed in July, with interviews to be conducted by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in September.

Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons will also be present at the interviews, along with an independent public appointments assessor.

Former Johnston Press chairman Roger Parry has also been linked with the vice-chair role, along with the new position of non-executive chairman on the BBC's board.

The non-exec chairman role is currently held by BBC director general Mark Thompson in addition to his normal duties, but the government is understood to want a voice from outside the corporation to work directly with Thompson going forward.