BRITAIN: The row between the British government and the BBC over Iraq will not influence upcoming decisions on the renewal of the broadcaster's charter, Culture Secretary Ms Tessa Jowell said yesterday.
Her assurance came amid growing concern at the top of the BBC that ministers may be planning to use the 10-yearly renewal in 2006 as an opportunity to take revenge for its controversial broadcasts questioning government claims about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
An unnamed "senior source" in the BBC was quoted in the Independent on Sunday as saying: "There's a war going on against the BBC of some kind." Phone calls had been received from within government, saying: 'We're going to get you'."
The chairman of the BBC Mr Gavyn Davies yesterday voiced fears that the corporation's independence was under threat.
He accused government ministers of "political bullying".
However, Ms Jowell appealed for calm while Lord Hutton carries out his inquiry into the apparent suicide of government scientist Dr David Kelly, the main source for the BBC reports.
In a strongly-worded statement, she accused Mr Davies of "inflaming" the situation. The review of the charter which begins this autumn would be carried out "without any reference whatever to recent events".
The BBC's board of governors have come under fire from government supporters for its robust backing of Radio 4 correspondent Andrew Gilligan, who reported that intelligence officers were unhappy with the handling of information about Iraq's supposed WMD capability.
The Leader of the House of Commons, Mr Peter Hain, yesterday accused the BBC of behaving like a tabloid newspaper in the hope of causing embarrassment to the government.
Mr Davies raised concern over speculation that ministers were considering scrapping the independent governors, and handing over their powers to the new media regulatory body Ofcom.
He told the Sunday Telegraph: "Our integrity is under attack and we are chastised for taking a different view on editorial matters from that of the government and its supporters.
"Because we have had the temerity to do this, it is hinted that a system that has protected the BBC for 80 years should be swept away and replaced by an external regulator that will 'bring the BBC to heel'."
But Ms Jowell responded: "There is no question whatsoever of the dispute with the BBC over Mr Gilligan's claim affecting in any shape or form the BBC's licence fee or its charter.
"We have made it plain throughout that we will uphold completely the independence of the BBC. This has been stated time and again."