BBC Personnel And The Labour Party

EDM number 675 in 1994-95, proposed by Michael Fabricant on 24/02/1995.

That this House congratulates BBC News and Sport in winning nine Royal Television Society awards acknowledging the Corporation's premier role in journalism, but expresses its concern that Joy Johnson, the BBC's News Editor at Westminster and responsible for much of the BBC's political reporting, has applied for the post of the Labour Party's Director of Campaigns, Communications, and Elections; while not wishing to restrict the mobility of labour, feels there should be a moratorium of at least two years between senior personnel leaving the BBC's Directorate of News and Current Affairs and taking up key positions in a political party; and believes that the perceived political integrity, balance, and independence of the BBC is severely damaged when senior personnel from its news departments make such career moves. (Relevant registered interest declared)

This motion has been signed by a total of 2 MPs.