BBC journalists express vote of no confidence in senior leadership team

More than 90% of BBC journalists working across local television, online and radio have expressed a vote of no confidence in the broadcaster’s senior leadership.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) surveyed members in May, with results showing that 93% no longer had confidence in the senior leadership team.

It comes amid an ongoing dispute between the NUJ and the BBC over changes to jobs and local radio programmes.

NUJ members in England are due to go on strike next week on Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 June, over the dispute.

The union has said some concessions were made in talks brokered by the conciliation service Acas but had not gone far enough.

Paul Siegert, national broadcasting organiser, said: “Members have shared their disappointment over the treatment of colleagues who have had to re-apply for their jobs.

“Results of the vote indicate the strength of feeling among journalists, alongside frustrations about the BBC’s handling of the dispute.

“Members want to avoid strike action and remain doing the jobs they love. It’s for this reason, the NUJ is urging the BBC to reconsider its plans that will leave a lasting impact on local radio.”

The findings from the NUJ come as the corporation announced a new acting chairwoman on Friday.

Dame Elan Closs Stephens will step into the interim position following the departure of Richard Sharp last month.

Mr Sharp resigned after publication of a report which found he broke the rules by failing to disclose that he played a role in getting then-prime minister Boris Johnson an £800,000 loan guarantee.

Dame Elan has been a member of the BBC’s governing body since 2010, serving then as the member for Wales when it was the BBC Trust.