Birt’s ‘Admin Expenses’ Criticised

Following revelations at the weekend that BBC director general, John Birt has been avoiding paying tax on over £80,000 of his salary by being paid as a freelance consultant, members of the Broadcasting Union have been calling for his immediate resignation.

The BBC is refusing to comment further on Birt’s financial arrangement other than to say that it is not an unusual set-up within the industry, although no other member of the Corporation’s board of management is paid in this way. Birt’s new salary as director general is still being negotiated but it is thought likely that the current freelance arrangement will continue.