Overview
- Boris Johnson escalated attacks on the BBC, saying Tim Davie must explain alleged failures or resign, citing claims spanning a Panorama edit of President Trump, BBC Arabic output, and trans coverage.
- The Commons culture, media and sport committee set Monday as the deadline for the BBC’s response to Michael Prescott’s memo, with Prescott preparing to give evidence to MPs.
- The BBC board is compiling a formal reply, and the corporation says mistakes in BBC News Arabic were acknowledged at the time and processes have since been tightened.
- Prescott alleges a Panorama film selectively spliced Trump’s January 6 remarks from sections nearly an hour apart to imply a call to “fight like hell,” a characterization now under parliamentary scrutiny.
- Insiders warn the leak and political pile‑on may be an effort to weaken BBC leadership ahead of charter renewal talks, as governance concerns resurface over board composition and Robbie Gibb’s role.