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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Michael Savage Media editor

Protect BBC’s independence in case of Farage government, ex-news head urges

BBC Broadcasting House in London
James Harding called for the BBC’s charter to be open-ended and for a complete overhaul of its political and financial independence. Photograph: Ian West/PA

The BBC must be given complete political independence in case Nigel Farage enters government, its former director of news has said.

James Harding, now the editor-in-chief of the Observer, pointed to Donald Trump’s attempts to defund publicly backed US media and said it would be “recklessly complacent” to believe something similar could not happen in Britain.

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