It's quite unacceptable that the BBC is hiding millions of pounds it pays its stars by exploiting a sneaky loophole.
Our publicly financed national broadcaster must also be publicly accountable.
Excluding salaries paid by independent production companies contracted by the BBC, particularly a BBC Studios commercial arm, makes a complete mockery of published figures.
Imagine how the BBC would howl if it found another public body doing such a thing.
It must stipulate in future contracts that pay will be included so totals reflect reality instead of concealing the true picture.
We applaud the closing of the gender pay gap and acknowledge many other media outfits need to match the BBC’s progress.
However, while we know the Tories are primarily responsible for axing free TV licences for 3.7million over-75s, why couldn’t the
“hard up” BBC step into help them by asking fabulously rewarded stars to take a bit less?
Drying shame
Whirlpool now admits there could be up to 800,000 of its faulty tumble-dryers in UK homes - which makes its excuses, foot dragging, obfuscation and
obstruction even more contemptible.
Machines bursting into flames, including some that were updated after safety concerns, are an obvious danger so the US company deserves to be held to account and must be punished financially.
Whirlpool’s resistance to evidence presented by the Daily Mirror and others that its machines were igniting was unacceptable stonewalling. Customers are supposed to come first but the impression remains that Whirlpool executives put profits before people.
England’s pride
Football isn’t coming home after England’s valiant women lost their World Cup semi-final to the mighty USA.
Yet huge audiences for the Three Lionesses was a win for the British game – and a lesson for cricket and rugby union on why they also need to be on terrestrial TV.
