Tim Davie, the BBC director general, and Deborah Turness, the head of news, have resigned following accusations that the broadcaster failed to uphold its duty of impartiality. The resignations, announced on Sunday night, come amid controversy over the editing of a speech by US President Donald Trump in an episode of Panorama.
The BBC’s chair, Samir Shah, is expected to apologise on Monday for the way the Trump speech was handled. The incident is one of several flagged by Michael Prescott, a former external adviser to the BBC’s editorial standards committee, who outlined his concerns in a memo published by the Telegraph.
Prescott’s memo also highlighted alleged bias in the corporation’s coverage of trans issues, contributing to a broader crisis over impartiality at the broadcaster. The departures of Davie and Turness mark a significant upheaval in the BBC’s leadership.
