Lord McAlpine has hit out at BBC executives whom he has accused of operating like a ‘secret service’ after the broadcaster censored criticism of its senior executives made in its Jimmy Savile investigation.
More than 90 pages of evidence in the report have been redacted by BBC bosses much of it comprising highly critical evidence provided by staff into the behaviour of senior executives.
McAlpine told The Telegraph: “Of course they should publish them in full, the BBC is not the secret service. There’s no reason for holding back, what Jeremy Paxman said should be printed. It should be explained to people."
Critics of the decision claim that all criticism of management has been removed from the report, not just that which was defamatory, stoking the ire of critics who smell a cover up.
Six senior executives and editors were singled out for criticism in the report but none have been fired, with two leaving voluntarily and four moving to positions elsewhere within the organisation.
A BBC spokesperson insisted that only defamatory comments had been redacted, saying: “There are a strict set of legal criteria that govern what redactions have to be made before publication. Embarrassment is not a criterion for redaction.”