Political row over move to appoint ex-Huffington Post editor to BBC

A political row has broken out over the move to appoint ex-Huffington Post editor Jess Brammar to the BBC with Labour calling for Theresa May‘s former communications chief to be sacked from the board for ‘trying to block her appointment on political grounds’. 

Sir Robbie Gibb, who became a non-executive director at the corporation in May, attempted to stop the former deputy editor of BBC Newsnight from being appointed to oversee its news channels because he felt it would damage the government’s trust in the broadcaster, reported the Financial Times  

While head of HuffPost, Ms Brammar pushed the site’s left of centre views on Brexit, the Black Lives Matter movement and Meghan Markle and clashed with equalities minister Kemi Badenoch.

But her tweets from the last few years on those subjects have now been deleted. 

She left HuffPost earlier this year after the site made most of its UK-based reporters redundant after it was taken over by Buzzfeed. 

Now she is being considered for a role ‘overseeing output on the public service broadcaster’s domestic and global news channels’.

Sir Robbie Gibb, who became a non-executive director at the corporation in May, attempted to stop former deputy editor of BBC Newsnight Jess Brammar (pictured above) from being appointed to oversee its news channels, reported the Financial Times 

It is claimed that Sir Robbie (pictured in May 2019), an ex-senior BBC journalist and editorial advisor to GB News, had sent a text message to BBC director for news and current affairs Fran Unsworth saying she ‘cannot make this appointment’

She clashed with the government after equalities minister Kemi Badenoch accused one of her journalists of ‘creepy and bizarre’ behaviour over a request asking why she did not appear in a video urging ethnic minorities to get a coronavirus vaccine.

Brammar said Baddenoch’s actions caused her reporter to receive online abuse and complain to the Cabinet Office.

Jo Stevens, Labour’s shadow digital, culture, media and sport secretary, has since urged Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden to join calls for Sir Robbie to resign. 

The FT claims that Sir Robbie, an ex-senior BBC journalist and editorial advisor to GB News, had sent a text message to BBC director for news and current affairs Fran Unsworth saying she ‘cannot make this appointment’ and that the government’s ‘fragile trust in the BBC will be shattered’ if she did.

It comes at a time when the broadcaster’s director-general Tim Davie has attempted to address concerns over its impartiality.

Ms Stevens said: ‘These allegations raise very serious questions about Conservative cronyism at the heart of the BBC.

‘If Robbie Gibb is in post to further Tory interests rather than the public interest, then he is in the wrong job. Oliver Dowden must join the calls for him to resign or the BBC must sack him immediately for the sake of its own integrity.’

It comes at a time when the broadcaster’s director-general Tim Davie (pictured in Glasgow in February this year) has attempted to address concerns over its impartiality

Labour’s shadow digital, culture, media and sport secretary, said: ‘These allegations raise very serious questions about Conservative cronyism at the heart of the BBC’ (file photo)

Sir Robbie, who is now a senior communications adviser at Kekst CNC and director of the Jewish Chronicle newspaper, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

His brother Nick Gibb is Conservative MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton and minister for school standards.

A BBC spokesperson said: ‘The BBC doesn’t comment on ongoing recruitment processes, which are the responsibility of the executive, but for the record, no recruitment process has been blocked.

‘People should wait for the outcome which will be announced in due course.

‘And as a general principle, board members are able to discuss issues with other board members or senior executives. These principles were adhered to.’