BBC have learned nothing from Jimmy Savile scandal - there's another monster

Nearly 15 years have passed since BBC Newsnight shelved its investigation into Jimmy Savile. Fifteen years have passed and I’m still struggling to see what lessons the BBC learned. Last week, on The Daily Expresso, I interviewed Meirion Jones, the investigative journalist who helped expose Savile and worked on that abandoned Newsnight investigation. His account of the BBC’s handling of warnings, victims and witnesses was as disturbing as it was depressing. Here was an institution entrusted with informing the public, apparently more concerned with protecting itself than confronting the possibility that one of its biggest stars was a monster. And make no mistake – Savile was a monster. We’re talking about a man whose catalogue of sexual abuse stretched across decades, involving children, vulnerable patients and people who should have been safe in his presence. His celebrity gave him access, influence and a seemingly impenetrable shield of respectability. He moved among the powerful, knew the then Prince Charles and enjoyed Margaret Thatcher’s admiration. Meanwhile, those raising concerns struggled to be heard. Fame opened doors for Savile while his victims found doors slammed in their faces. The BBC’s own subsequent inquiry concluded that Newsnight’s decision to drop the story was flawed. That ought to have been a defining moment - never again should a familiar face, a prestigious title or a comfortable relationship protect anyone from scrutiny. Then along came Huw Edwards. When Edwards pleaded guilty to offences involving indecent images of children, we learned that the BBC had known about his arrest for months before his departure. The corporation maintained that it had to respect the police investigation and due process. Fair enough I suppose. Nobody should lose their livelihood merely because they’ve been accused of wrongdoing. But there is a difference between respecting due process and failing to reassure the public that powerful employees face rigorous accountability. During my conversation with Jones, I raised concerns I had heard about another prominent broadcasting figure, and he told me he’d encountered similar rumours. Rumours, of course, are not evidence, and no individual should be condemned on gossip. But credible allegations, whenever they emerge, must be investigated properly, independently and without fear or favour. That is the lesson the BBC should have learned from Savile. Instead, the same question keeps returning - does celebrity buy you a different set of rules? And that’s a question that should be asked of all our broadcasters too. I don’t want the BBC destroyed, but public trust cannot be restored with another statement promising lessons will be learned. It requires independent reporting channels, protection for whistleblowers and bosses prepared to challenge even their most bankable stars. No golden boys, no untouchables, no institutional instinct to close ranks. If the BBC wants to regain our trust, it must finally prove that protecting the public matters more than protecting its own. Greenlight For Gas At last, some common sense from the Government. After years of legal wrangling and environmental objections, ministers have given the Jackdaw gas field the green light. At peak production, it could boost Britain’s domestic gas output by around six per cent. That is surely something worth welcoming when energy security has become a pressing concern. Predictably, the environmental campaigners, or growth blockers as I prefer to call them, are furious. Apparently, producing gas in British waters is unacceptable, even while we continue importing fossil fuels. Look, I want a greener Britain too, and I support cleaner energy and the innovation that comes with it, but we can’t abandon oil and gas overnight. I’d rather reach our environmental targets with the lights on, the heating working and British workers still earning a living. Even Ecotricity founder Dale Vince has defended Jackdaw, dismissing the outrage as disproportionate. He rightly points out that the field already had a licence thanks to the previous Tory government. Of course, producing more British gas won't automatically mean cheaper household bills because energy prices are largely determined by international market - but that's no reason to surrender control over our domestic production. Kemi Badenoch is right to challenge Labour's ban on new exploration licences. We should consider responsible projects rather than rule them out on principle. Cleaner energy remains our future, but energy security matters today, not just in 2050, so let's use the resources we have while building the alternatives we need. Pride of Britain I’ll probably get cancelled for saying this, but I thought Carol Vorderman looked absolutely fabulous at last week’s Pride of Britain Awards. At 65, her skin looked flawless, her outfit was elegant and demure, and she carried herself with the confidence of a woman who knows exactly who she is. But what impressed me most wasn't her appearance. It was the fact she was there celebrating ordinary people doing extraordinary things. In a celebrity culture obsessed with self-promotion, it's refreshing to see someone using their considerable profile to shine a light on those who genuinely deserve recognition.