A member of the BBC’s board has resigned after saying he was cut out of the discussions that led to the shock resignation of its director general, Tim Davie.
Shumeet Banerji, a tech industry executive, was out of the country on the crucial days before the departure of Davie and the head of BBC News, Deborah Turness.
The pair quit after tense board discussions over how to respond to allegations of liberal bias made by Michael Prescott, a former independent external adviser to the BBC’s editorial guidelines and standards committee. Prescott left that role in the summer.
Banerji cited what he called “governance issues” at the top of the corporation. In a letter seen by BBC News, he said he had not been consulted about the events leading up to the departures of Davie and Turness.
It will be seen as a criticism of the BBC’s chair, Samir Shah, and follows anger inside the corporation over the handling of Prescott’s memo, which made complaints of systemic bias in coverage of Donald Trump, Gaza and transgender rights.
Some even considered the pressure over the Prescott claims to be part of “a coup” by the political right to influence the BBC’s reporting. Shah has dismissed such claims as fanciful.
Banerji’s resignation, however, will focus more attention on the role of Sir Robbie Gibb, the BBC board member who has faced accusations of repeatedly raising issues of liberal bias within the organisation.
Gibb was previously Theresa May’s communications chief and has described himself as a “proper Thatcherite Conservative”. Boris Johnson placed him on the BBC board and the last Conservative government gave him a new term shortly before the general election.
Banerji’s departure is significant because he was often seen as a counterweight to complaints from Gibb and others of bias. His departure means the BBC is even more depleted as it heads into the process of finding a new director general.
Some BBC insiders have pointed to an alignment between Gibb’s concerns and those of Prescott. It had been reported that the pair were friends, but the Guardian has since established that Gibb was on a panel that handed Prescott his advisory role. Prescott has said his concerns “do not come with any political agenda”.
The board-level resignation comes as the two men prepare to appear before MPs on Monday as the Commons culture, media and sport committee attempts to learn more about the events that led to Davie’s resignation.
Prescott’s memo was handed to the BBC board weeks ago and was leaked to the Daily Telegraph, which reported its contents over several days.
It included concerns about an edit of a Donald Trump speech on Panorama. The US president has since threatened to sue, potentially for billions. Shah, however, has also said Prescott’s memo was a partial and personal account of BBC discussions and did not reflect a full picture.
MPs, BBC staff members and Bectu, the main BBC union, have called for Gibb to be removed from the BBC board over allegations of political interference.
Friends of Gibb have said he is a defender of the BBC and acts out of genuine concern for its impartiality. The broadcaster has said he is only one of many voices on the BBC’s board.
A BBC spokesperson said: “Shumeet Banerji today notified the BBC board of his resignation. Mr Banerji’s term on the board as a non-executive director was due to end at the end of December and we thank him for his service.
“The search for a replacement is already well under way and we will update further in due course.”
