I have complete confidence that both Samir Shah, the chair of the BBC, and Tim Davie are treating this with the seriousness that this demands. I do want to see that response to the select committee, and I will, of course, consider it and have further conversations with them about the action that they're taking. There are a series of very serious allegations made, the most serious of which is that there is systemic bias in the way that difficult issues are reported at the BBC.
Parliament's culture, media and sport committee has demanded to know the BBC's response to the memo, setting Monday as a deadline. The BBC's board is compiling its response. However, insiders believe the leaking of the memo to the Daily Telegraph and the criticisms that have followed from Johnson are part of a concerted attempt to undermine the organisation, which is heading into crucial talks with the government over the renewal of its charter.
