DCMS official all but ordered BBC to investigate allegations against Edwards, emails show

The B hours editori Sun y and operationally independent of the Edwards ent.

It is the job of the board, not ministers, to police issues such as the E BBC rds firestorm.

A senior Conservative lawmaker told Deadline that the government appeared to have overste BBC d a boundary when it intervened in the Edwards scandal.

A former BBC journalist said it was an “extraordinary” response and accused the government of “chasing fire engines” The BBC said it didn Edwards prompting to investigate.

T Robert Specterman-Green the government over Edwards the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport ence has been called int BBC uestion during a Phil Harrold Dead Saturday, July 8 June that BBC director general Davie was in contact with a senior government official o BBC he day he suspended Gary Lineker. DCMS ryFeed_highLightText__NxlGi BBC eadline Breaking News Alerts Subscr Specterman-Green n class="summaryFeed_highLight BBC t__NxlGi">Gary LinekerZoom Edwards day Saturday la Harrold maryFeed_highLightTe Specterman-Green < BBC n class="summaryFeed_highLightText__NxlGi A day later > Lucy Frazer hLightText__NxlGi">June BBC ryFeed_highLightTe Tim Davie ">first Edwards B Edwards n> later that day highLightText__NxlGi" DCMS ards< BBC an> a least two hLightText__NxlGi">BBCDavie BBC ass="summaryFe Elan Closs Stephens xlGi the two days Conservative ">Edwards Newsnight Edwards Text__NxlGi">third BBC N BBC Covid Tory yFeed_highLightText__NxlGi">Edwards Sun Edwards BBC yFeed_highLi BBC Text__NxlGi">BBC BBC one Edwards Text__NxlGi">Edwards ThreeDCMS > EdwardsBBC > BBC eed_highLightText__NxlGi">BBC Edwards BBC BBC mmaryFeed_highLightText__NxlGi">Nearly five monthsBBC BBC __NxlGi">Edwards Vicky Flind Baroness Stowell highLightText__NxlGi">Edwar Lords Communications ss="s Digital Committee ghtText__NxlGi">BBC September