Political row over move to appoint ex-editor of left-wing Huffington Post to top job at the BBC: Labour calls for former No 10 communications chief to be SACKED from board for 'trying to block her appointment'
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 as BBC executive news editor 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.'
LEFT-WING HUFFPOST EDITOR'S VIEWS ON BREXIT, MEGHAN MARKLE, AND KEMI BADENOCH
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.
Earlier this year, Ms Brammar was among the left-wing newspaper editors who drove the Society of Editors executive director, Ian Murray, out of his job for speaking against Megan Markle's claims that the British press is systematically racist.
Mr Murray issued a statement defending all the Society's members against the accusations and underlining newspapers' duty to hold the rich and powerful to account.
He said the couple's claims were 'not acceptable' without supporting evidence, insisting that the UK Press was not racist.
But within hours a backlash emerged with over 236 BAME journalists signing a letter condemning the statement.
The editors of the Daily Mirror, Guardian, Financial Times, Evening Standard and HuffPost UK also publicly criticised the statement.
Ms Brammar, who was editor-in-chief of HuffPost UK at the time, told MailOnline: 'The Society of Editors claimed to speak for the UK journalism industry.
'I think what's crucial to remember is that our industry includes people who are from minorities that have not been treated well by aspects of the Press.
'This was not just about journalists who could see that the Society of Editors' statement was factually incorrect calling that out, it was also about supporting our colleagues within our own industry who are impacted by that bigotry.
'We can't pretend to be surprised about the lack of diversity in our newsrooms when we aren't addressing this.'
Conservative MP Sir Desmond Swayne said at the time that Mr Murray's exit highlighted concerns about the growing 'cancel culture' in Britain and that the UK was in a situation which is 'very dangerous for free speech.
Ms Brammar also became embroiled in a row with No 10 over equalities minister Kemi Badenoch in February.
Ms Badenoch was widely criticised for accusing Nadine White of 'creepy and bizarre' behaviour after the HuffPost reporter sent a standard request for comment to a Government press office.
Ms White had asked a Government press office why the Equalities Minister had not appeared in a video targeted at minority groups to promote the Covid-19 vaccination campaign.
Ms Badenoch subsequently tweeted that HuffPost had sought to 'sow distrust by making up claims I refused to take part in a video campaign' and said it was 'creepy and bizarre to fixate on who didn't participate in a video and demand they explain themselves'.
She also shared screenshots of two emails sent by Ms White to the department.
Ms Brammar made a complaint to the Cabinet Office about Ms Badenoch's conduct, asking for an apology and for the allegations to be withdrawn.
She also tweeted: 'You will note that, contrary to your claim we were spreading disinformation, we have not published this story without your response.
'I totally refute the claim it is 'creepy and bizarre' to ask questions of a government minister, and Nadine was doing her job in asking them.'
Ms Brammar later added that she stood by Ms White, and said the journalist had to make her Twitter profile private after the screenshots were shared.
Cabinet Office permanent secretary Alex Chisholm responded to the formal complaint from HuffPost by saying Ms Badenoch was responsible for her own conduct on her social media account.
'I note that the tweets were not issued from a government Twitter account, but instead from a personal Twitter account,' his letter said.
Despite sharing her left-of-centre views on a number of topics, it has been claimed that Ms Brammar has now deleted her tweets from the last 12 years, leaving just a month's worth of content on her feed.
A tweet read: 'Why would a prolific tweeter like delete 12 years of tweets with all her insights on Brexit, Boris and current affairs?
'We now only have 30 days of anodyne tweets with barely a mention of politics. Fancy that.'