It may come as unwelcome news to the Daily Telegraph, but Andrew Marr’s weekly column is “vetted†by the BBC to ensure it does not involve the corporation in fresh controversy with politicians.
Helen Boaden, BBC director of news, admitted this to the House of Lords Communication Committee. Asked how Marr got away with his column when other BBC journalists were barred from writing for newspapers, she said that he was in a long-term contractual relationship when the writing restrictions were imposed.
She said BBC staffers were instructed to steer away from expressing any personal view on controversies and confirmed the Marr column “is outside our guidelinesâ€.
“It is vetted by our people,†she told the peers, adding: “It will come to an end at some point.â€
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Marr had better make sure he keeps his day job.
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