BBC chairman quits over Hutton

BBC chairman Gavyn Davies has resigned in the wake of Lord Hutton's criticisms of the corporation's reports.

He quit after Lord Hutton said the suggestion in BBC reports that the government "sexed up" its dossier on Iraq's weapons with unreliable intelligence was "unfounded".

Lord Hutton also criticised "defective" BBC editorial processes over defence correspondent Andrew Gilligan's broadcasts of the claims on the Today programme.

THE HUTTON REPORT

In his resignation statement, Mr Davies said no-one at the BBC in the past year had deliberately misled the public, and no one had acted out of malign motivation.

"I have been brought up to believe that you cannot choose your own referee, and that the referee's decision is final," he added.

But he questioned whether Lord Hutton's "bald conclusions" on the dossier's production could be reconciled with the balance of the inquiry's evidence.

And he asked whether those conclusions about the use of sources whose remarks could not be verified, constituted a "threat to the freedom of the press in this country".

Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said Mr Davies had "done the honourable thing" and she would now advertise for his replacement.

The Hutton report would be taken into account for the review of the BBC's charter in 2006, she said, but the result would be a "strong BBC, independent of government".

In his long-awaited report, Lord Hutton said he was satisfied Dr Kelly had killed himself after being named as the suspected source of the BBC's controversial weapons dossier story.

HAVE YOUR SAY
" Let's just hope it shakes up the BBC to be more the type of broadcaster they used to be "
Mike, UK

Prime Minister Tony Blair said the report showed "the allegation that I or anybody else lied to the House or deliberately misled the country by falsifying intelligence of weapons of mass destruction is itself the real lie".

"I simply ask that those that have made it and repeated it over all these months now withdraw it fully, openly and clearly," he said.

In other key developments:

• BBC director general Greg Dyke said the corporation apologised for things which were wrong in Mr Gilligan's reports and pointed to changes in the corporation's procedures

• Ex-Downing Street media chief Alastair Campbell said: "If the government had faced the level of criticisms which today Lord Hutton's report has directed at the BBC, there would have been resignations by now, several resignations at several levels."

• Lord Hutton said the BBC governors should have properly investigated Downing Street's complaints as they defended the corporation's independence

• Mr Blair's wish for the dossier to make a persuasive case might have "subconsciously influenced" Joint Intelligence Committee chairman John Scarlett to use stronger words than usual but Mr Scarlett had acted to ensure the dossier was consistent with reliable intelligence, said the judge

• There was no "dishonourable, underhand or duplicitous strategy" by the government to leak Dr Kelly's name covertly to help its battle with the BBC

• The Ministry of Defence was "at fault" for failing to tell Dr Kelly that his identity as the suspected source would be confirmed to journalists who suggested it, said the report

• Lord Hutton "deplored" the leak of some his findings in the Sun newspaper and is looking at an investigation and possible legal action

BBC political editor Andrew Marr's reaction to the report was: "In the end what it comes down to is a judgement by Lord Hutton - who he believes, whose motives he trusts most and in that, again and again, he comes down on the side of politicians and officials."

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