His route into the building was lined by clapping staff He will look at the case carefully, lay out all the arguments and facts, then come to a decision."Despite reputedly having little time for jokes, there is little of the po-faced technocrat about the Yorkshireman. He lists his interests as including Leeds and Southampton football clubs, the New Forest, cathedrals, fell walking, the seaside and rock music. "Audiences around the world recognise the BBC's journalism for its integrity, its authority, its commitment to strong analysis and debate," he said.The 47 year old, who has five children, joined the BBC in his native Yorkshire at 21, after studying for a law degree in Leeds. Those who know him say the analytical skills of his legal training inform his view of journalism, claiming that, unlike his predecessor, he would not have leapt to the defence of the story which infuriated Downing Street without investigating the complaints first.His father, Sir Lawrence Byford, was the country's most senior police watchdog as Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary and was responsible for investigating the handling of the Yorkshire Ripper case.One former colleague said of Mark Byford last month: "There is a very careful, cautious side to him Many journalists make snap impulsive judgements. "We would have liked to talk to someone from the BBC but were told that no one would be available before tomorrow's board of governors meeting," Paxman said - revealing that the BBC had decided to "empty-chair" itself.Elsewhere reporters gingerly ventured on to the question of Hutton's even-handedness - throwing back that familiar old complaint about "balance". And resignation - so often mooted as a solution for governmental difficulties - was now being pressed on some just a few floors above. Alastair Campbell wasin nomood for magnanimity on Wednesday's Newsnight. "The BBC is clutching at straws tonight," he said - pressing Paxman into a rattled repudiation of the Today programme's original story. Was it?Well, Newsnight ran a brief interview with Rod Liddle, former editor of Today , who stoutly defended Gilligan's story, but there was no fudging the severity of Hutton's criticisms in any of the bulletins and self-defence was mostly the occasional beseeching question. "Do you think Lord Hutton understands either the function of the BBC or the function of journalism?" Paxman asked Sir Christopher Bland, who answered with a thoughtful "no".On the Today programme yesterday - spirits rallied by some of the newspaper coverage - John Humphrys was a bit more bullish.
"Do you think the BBC ought to be cowed by this?" he asked, a choice of words that pretty much guaranteed only Alastair Campbell could have answered "yes". Ironically Today ended up empty-chairing its reporter - "He won't speak to us", they said of Andrew Gilligan, "on the advice of his lawyer". No unscripted two-ways yesterday.The mood was less apocalyptic yesterday morning - buoyed bypublicdisquiet about Hutton's findings and by support from unexpected quarters. But the mood darkened with Greg Dyke's resignation and the BBC's formal apology. BBC journalists had to absorb another blow to their morale - and report impartially to the public. It was a virtually impossible task but - some understandable errors apart - it did well enough to restore some of its battered reputation.. The BBC's internal e-mail system was working overtime within minutes of Greg Dyke's resignation, as news of his sacrifice spread around the corporation's offices throughout Britain. But the most dramatic scenes were at BBC Television Centre in west London, where Mr Dyke was mobbed as he returned, possibly for the last time, to the corporation's headquarters.At least 1,000 staff gathered on the pavement in Wood Lane within an hour of Mr Dyke's announcement, brandishing hastily produced banners proclaiming, "Bring back Greg.'' Some sent Mr Dyke an early Valentine's message, waving hearts with the words, "We love you Greg''; others implored motorists to "Honk for Greg''.One female worker said: "I looked out of the window and, at first, I thought it was the audience for Top of The Pops. Then management said, 'We are all going downstairs, are you coming out with us?' There is a certain amount of resentment at the Government's smugness about [the Hutton inquiry] and general shock and incredulity.''The crowd became quite feverish when the subject of the protest pulled up outside the BBC building, surging forward as Mr Dyke emerged from his car, sweeping him along. Mr Dyke spoke for a few minutes to his former employees, inaudible to most but heartily applauded all the same. His route into the building was lined by clapping staff.Mr Dyke had summed up the feelings of the staff earlier by reading one of the many e-mails he had received. It read: "No matter what the future brings, please know that you have made us proud to be part of the BBC and we will support you, whatever you do." Mr Dyke said later that people had cried in his office.There were further walkouts by hundreds of staff in Glasgow and Cardiff. |
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