BBC Leadership

Peter Fortune Excerpts

Tuesday 11th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Lisa Nandy]

I agree with the hon. Member. If the BBC did not exist in the times that we live in, we would seek to invent it.

[Peter Fortune (Bromley and Biggin Hill) (Con)]

To touch on something that the Secretary of State alluded to earlier, one of the vital services that the BBC provides is supporting local media—an industry that I worked in for 10 years. It does that through its local democracy reporting scheme, which helps bring forward the next generation of journalists and reporters. Does she agree that it is therefore imperative that the BBC wins back trust, discipline and a culture of impartiality so that this can be inculcated into the next generation of journalists, so that they can report without fear or favour?

[Lisa Nandy]

I agree with the hon. Member. That is why this Government will also resist recent attacks on the institution itself by Members from across the House. The local democracy reporting service that he talks about is a vital part of our local democracy. It also helps to create the next generation of journalists who might not otherwise have the opportunity to work in journalism and tell the stories that matter so much to all of us across this House.