MP: 'Parliament should pick BBC chairman'

Parliament should have a say on the next chair of the BBC Trust due to the Conservative party's "ideological contempt" for the BBC, the shadow culture secretary has said.

In a letter sent to culture secretary Jeremy Hunt, Labour MP Ivan Lewis said that the Tory party's hostility to the BBC meant that the appointment of a new BBC chairman should be handled independently.

He called for the all-party Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee to publicly interview the final shortlist of two candidates in February as a way to depoliticise the recruitment process, reports The Guardian.

Former Conservative party chairman Lord Patten of Barnes heads a six-strong shortlist vying to replace Sir Michael Lyons as chairman of the Trust next spring.

However, opponents are concerned that Patten is "too political" a candidate to take on the role of providing a voice for the licence fee payer, while also protecting the BBC's independence.

Interviews are scheduled to take place on January 28 and January 31 in front of a panel including Department for Culture, Media and Sport permanent secretary Jonathan Stephens, former BP chief Lord Browne and Stewart Purvis, editor-in-chief of ITN.

The panel will reduce the shortlist to two names to be recommended to Hunt, who has the power to select either candidate or opt for a different person entirely.

Under Lewis's proposal, the Commons' select committee - chaired by Conservative MP John Whittingdale - would make a recommendation as to which of the two candidates they prefer.

In his letter to Hunt, Lewis said that the approach would "demonstrate you are serious about a new style of politics and committed to ensuring this appointment is made on merit, free of political bias".

Despite expressing his support for the idea, Whittingdale said: "This is something I have been arguing for some while, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

"I know that Jeremy Hunt is sympathetic, but he told me that it was a decision that had to be taken by the prime minister."