Letter: Birt and Hussey threaten the integrity of the BBC

Sir: I would like to add my voice to those who have been saying all along that John Birt was a thoroughly unsuitable candidate for the post of director-general of the BBC long before the details of the tax deal he had made for himself emerged.

Having worked for the BBC for 30 years, for well over half that period as a foreign correspondent in various countries, including Russia, I can testify to the enormously high prestige the corporation has always enjoyed among millions of listeners worldwide. On a more personal level, I always felt much affection and respect for the corporation, and I am sure those emotions are shared by the vast majority of BBC staff, present and retired.

What, then, are we to make of the installation of a director-general whose main contribution so far has been to bombard staff with memoranda couched in barely intelligible sociological jargon, and who, until his tax strategy was unmasked, plainly intended to use the BBC as just another milch cow?

Yours sincerely,

ERIK de MAUNY

Lancaster

13 March