The interview board spoke to four applicants for Ofcom chairman and recommended three of the candidates to the Government. Their response is to appoint a new interview board, rather than appoint one of the approved candidates.
It had been expected that PM Boris Johnson’s preferred candidate, Paul Dacre, would be appointed in May. The interview board, however, found that he was “not appointable”.
Critics within the trade and from the general public have claimed that Ofcom is – and should remain – an independent body providing independent guidance. This independence might be jeopardised with Mr Dacre at the helm. He repeatedly made his stance against the BBC clear during his 26 years as editor of the Daily Mail.
The Government’s move to appoint a new interview board rather than accept the recommendations of the current panel can be seen as a further step towards its cultural cleansing.
STANCE NEWS 