Spare us the opportunistic attacks on the BBC

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The BBC needs to be at the forefront of answering questions and not at the bottom of the social media food chain (PA Archive)

Justice secretary Alex Chalk has demanded that the BBC gets “its house in order” regarding the story that an unnamed presenter has been accused of sexual impropriety involving a teenager. Chalk demands a swift response from the BBC and suggests the institution may be investigated over its handling of the affair.

A Tory minister is hardly in a position to criticise the BBC for not responding to allegations of sexual misconduct. Their track record from Chris Pincher to Neil Parish speaks for itself.

Moreover, Chalk’s comments come a month after long-awaited plans to bar peers accused of sexual or violent offences from Westminster, were indefinitely suspended. It means MPs who have lost their party’s whip due to allegations of sexual misconduct – like Chris Pincher, Rob Roberts, or Geraint Davies – remain free to enter parliament.