BBC will get chance to make changes itself

The government will give the BBC a chance to make its own changes following the report into the Diana interview, BBC Newsnight has learnt. The BBC is under pressure following the inquiry, which found Martin Bashir used deception to get his famous 1995 scoop. Boris Johnson said the corporation must make sure nothing like it happens again - and ministers have suggested its governance might need reform.

The BBC insists it has made fundamental changes in governance since the 1990s.

Thursday's report into the Panorama scoop found Bashir was unreliable and dishonest, and the BBC fell short of its high standards when answering questions about the 1995 interview.

Since it was published, the government is determined to see change at the BBC to ensure that it can never happen again.

According to Newsnight, ministers are interested in a proposal by the former BBC chairman Lord Grade to introduce a new independent editorial board that would report to the current management.

The idea is set to be considered next year as part of a mid-term review of the BBC's royal charter. The Royal Charter is an agreement with the government over what the BBC intends to do - including how it is funded and run - and the current charter lasts until 2027.

But Newsnight understands that the corporation will be given a chance to introduce the changes itself.

"The BBC may be able to do it themselves," said a government source.

It comes as the chairman of the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee - which scrutinises the BBC - has written to the BBC's director general Tim Davie demanding answers.

"In the wake of the Dyson report there are serious questions still left to answer," said Julian Knight.

"I want to know how the BBC can reassure the committee that there could be no repeat of the serious failings that have been highlighted by the Dyson report."

Mr Knight said in particular he wanted to know why Bashir was rehired in 2016, by which time questions had already been raised about his conduct.

The BBC has defended rehiring Bashir, saying the post was filled after a competitive interview process. Bashir left the BBC earlier this month without a pay-off.

In an email to staff on Friday, the BBC's director general Tim Davie said it had been a difficult week and acknowledged that people across the organisation "feel deeply let down".

But he said: "I know that we now have significantly stronger processes and governance in place to ensure that an event like this doesn't happen again. However we must also learn lessons and keep improving."

Princess Diana's interview with Bashir for Panorama was the first time a serving royal had spoken so openly about life in the Royal Family.

In it, the princess spoke about her unhappy marriage to Prince Charles, and famously said: "There were three of us in this marriage."

The inquiry that was published on Thursday was commissioned by the BBC last year, after Earl Spencer - Diana's brother - went public with his concerns about the tactics used to get the interview.

On Friday, Mr Johnson said he hoped the BBC would take "every possible step to make sure nothing like this ever happens again".

Meanwhile Ofcom - the media watchdog - said it would be talking with the BBC about what further action might be needed.