Maria Miller’s decision to write to the BBC asking what “further action” it plans to take against John Inverdale over his comments about Wimbledon women’s champion Marion Bartoli (“never going to be a looker”) has won the Culture Secretary rare praise from liberals, but it’s not an act they should be applauding.
No one should defend Inverdale’s casual misogyny (and few have) but it is for the corporation, not government ministers, to decide how it disciplines its staff. The principle of BBC independence is too important to be sacrificed on a whim. Inverdale has, as Miller concedes, already apologised “both on-air, and directly in writing to Ms Bartoli” but she still views it as fit to call for his head (without quite summoning the chutzpah to say so).
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