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Baron Sugar might threaten impartiality

Sir Alan Sugar’s dual role as government adviser and star of The Apprentice posed a “greater than normal risk” to the BBC’s impartiality in the run up to next year’s general election, the corporation’s governing body ruled today.

The Conservatives had complained to the BBC that Lord Sugar’s appointment could breach corporation rules on impartiality in the lead-up to the vote, which must be called by next May.

But the BBC Trust said the newly-ennobled Lord Sugar’s job as government “enterprise champion” would not lead to a direct conflict of interest with his role in The Apprentice providing that strict safeguards were observed.

The BBC Trust also said that the next series of The Apprentice could be rescheduled if it was felt that the programme could have an impact on a general election.

Trust chairman Sir Michael Lyons said: “Questions have been raised about the dual role played by Lord Sugar, as star of the BBC’s The Apprentice while also a Labour peer advising the government as enterprise champion.

“The trust’s editorial standards committee has judged that there has been no breach of the BBC editorial guidelines.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .