John Birt
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This article is part of the Nuclear Spin project of Spinwatch. |
Contents
The 'Mission to explain', LWT and the BBC
During the 1970s while he was working at LWT Birt developed a philosophy of television journalism with the neoliberal journalist Peter Jay which became known as the 'mission to explain'. It is a theory generally associated with high brow analytical journalism – as apposed to the adversarial style (at least theoretically) favoured by current affairs journalists. It was used as the rationale for a series of unpopular changes at the BBC during Birt's time as Deputy Director-General (1987–92) and Director-General (1992–2000) when news and current affairs programmes were brought under greater scrutiny and tighter and centralised control.
Birt started at the BBC as deputy director-general in 1987. He was the Beeb's Director-General from 1992 to 2000, (he left with a payout of £784,000 and an annual pension of £130,000).
Politics
At Granada and London Weekend Television, where he became good friends with Peter Mandelson (they've been on Tuscan walking holidays together and Mandelson was Birt's guest at the 1997 FA Cup Final). After his period at the BBC he was awarded the life peerage in 1999, and took his seat in the House of Lords in March 2000. [1] [2]
He was "Crime Czar", then an adviser on transport in the Cabinet Office Forward Strategy Unit. In October 2001, Birt was appointed as Tony Blair's personal advisor, for what was termed 'blue skies thinking'. The position was unpaid. His role was controversial: as a special advisor rather than a civil servant, he was not obliged to appear in front of Commons Select Committees - and refused to do so when requested.[3][4]
He prepared reports on crime, drugs, education, health and transport - all of which have been released under the Freedom of Information Act. NuclearSpin applied for a copy of his report on nuclear power - widely reported to recommend building new nuclear power stations - under the Act, but the government said it could 'neither confirm nor deny whether [it] holds [such] information'. NuclearSpin has appealed against the decision.[5][6][7]
While at Downing Street, Birt worked part-time for management consultants McKinsey & Company, which has won a considerable number of contracts with the Government. Since February 2004, Birt has been a member of the Board of Directors of PayPal.[8] [9][10]
On December 15, 2005 Birt announced that he was leaving Downing Street to take up a post with the private equity firm Terra Firma.[11]
Links to nuclear industry
Birt is widely reported to be pro-nuclear and his unpublished report on energy is said to recommend the expansion of nuclear power. [12]
The Guardian reported in November 2005: "Both John Birt, the PM's personal adviser and former head of the BBC, and industry adviser Geoffrey Norris, have been pushing the technology [nuclear] strongly from the Strategy Unit at No 10".[13]
According to press reports during mid-2005, Tony Blair also lobbied for Birt to become chairman of the nuclear power company Urenco - which has almost a fifth of the global uranium enrichment market and is jointly owned by the British, Dutch and German governments. The job went to Christopher Clark, former chief executive of chemicals firm Johnson Matthey, in September. [14]
Reports also suggest that Birt then unsuccessfully lobbied to be appointed head of the Government's forthcoming review of nuclear energy before quitting as Blair's special advisor.[15]
References
- ↑ DodOnline Political Biographies: Lord Birt, subscription only but can be accessed for free through UK Parliament's website undated, accessed February 2006.
- ↑ BBC news website 'Profile: Peter Mandelson', August 13, 2004.
- ↑ Birt's letter of appointment, released under the Freedom of Information Act (pdf), undated.
- ↑ Select Committee on Public Administration First Special Report, November 17, 2005.
- ↑ Documents released by the Cabinet Office under the Freedom of Information Act, undated, accessed February 2006.
- ↑ Marie Woolf and Andrew Grice, "Nuclear power? Yes please, says Blair", The Independent, April 23, 2005, unavailable on Independent website, but can be viewed at Climate Ark website;
- ↑ Nikhil Rathi Letter to Rich Cookson February 10, 2006.
- ↑ PayPayl website: Board of Directors, undated, accessed February 2006.
- ↑ DodOnline Political Biographies: Lord Birt, subscription only but can be accessed for free through UK Parliament's website undated, accessed February 2006.
- ↑ Tania Branigan, "Ministers 'used Live 8 to bury' critical report", The Guardian, July 4, 2005.
- ↑ Downing Street announcement 'New Job for Lord Birt', December 15, 2005.
- ↑ Eddie Barnes and Murdo Macleod 'Country Needs Nuclear Power', Scotland on Sunday, May 15, 2005.
- ↑ No named author, "Energy Review: Who's for, Who's Against and Why', unavailable online, The Guardian, November 30 2005.
- ↑ Jay Merrick, "Birt the Crony is in line for £300,000 post", unavailable online, Mail on Sunday, September 26, 2006; G. Wilson and M. Seamark, "Birt tipped for Urenco post", unavailable online, The Independent, September 26, 2005; No named author, "Birt Quits No10 and Heads for the City", unavailable online, Daily Mail, December 16, 2005.
- ↑ Andrew Grice, "Birt's Move to Head Nuclear Inquiry is Blocked by Cabinet", unavailable online, The Independent, November 28, 2005.
