UK Broadcasting Union Urges Government To Remove Controversial BBC Board Member Robbie Gibb: “A Distraction And Untenable”

The broadcasting union representing thousands of BBC Staff and freelancers has publicly called for the removal of controversial board member Robbie Gibb, who it said is “actively part of a campaign to undermine the BBC and influence its political impartiality.”

Bectu boss Philippa Childs has penned a letter to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and BBC Chair Samir Shah in which she said Gibb’s position on the board has become “a distraction and is untenable.”

“We simply do not see how staff can have faith in the BBC’s leadership while a crucial position on the board is filled by someone perceived by many staff and external commentators as sympathetic to, or actively part of, a campaign to undermine the BBC and influence its political impartiality,” wrote Childs. “Our understanding of the BBC Charter is that under Clause 28 it is possible for the Secretary of State, in consultation with the board, to terminate Mr Gibb’s appointment. We would urge you to exercise this power so that staff can have faith that the future of the BBC is being decided by people who truly have its best interests at heart.”

Deadline has asked Nandy’s Culture, Media & Sport department whether it could or would, in fact, impose this clause. We have also reached out to the BBC for comment on the letter.

Childs said there has been a “concerted attempt to undermine the BBC and its values, by people who actively seek a more partial and polarised public sphere to advance their own political agendas,” in what appeared a nod to Gibb.

Gibb’s name has been in the news all week amid the Donald Trump editing scandal, which the BBC apologized for last night. The former press secretary to Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May served on the now-notorious Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee (EGSC), where the controversial edit of Trump’s Jan 6 speech was discussed twice earlier this year. Whispers of a coup to help along the departures of BBC Director General Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness – who both resigned Sunday – have entered the BBC’s New Broadacsting House this week. The argument goes that, from his seat on the EGSC, Gibb orchestrated the content reviews that helped inform Michael Prescott’s excoriating memo, which exposed the Trump edit fiasco and other broad issues with the BBC’s news coverage.

Gibb has sat on the BBC Board as member for England since 2021 and is due to remain there for another three years. He is a controversial figure but many pour scorn on the notion of a coup and argue he simply provides a robust voice on the board. Earlier this week, BBC Chair Samir Shah snapped back at staff concerns over Gibb on an all-staff call, telling them it was “disrespectful” to attack individual board members.

Childs’ letter said staff are concerned about the forthcoming Charter Review amid open speculation about the BBC’s future funding model, and these anxities are being worsened by entering “this process with a vacuum of leadership and without a new Director-General in place.”