Labour vows to ‘secure BBC’s independence’ after Lineker row

Rows about the football pundit's tweets and the appointment of a Tory donor as chairman have prompted concerns about political pressures on the corporation

A root and branch review of the BBC's operations - including how its chairman and board are appointed - was announced on Sunday by Labour amid growing doubts about the corporation's political independence under the Tories, and its future as a public service broadcaster.

The move follows bruising rows over Gary Lineker's suspension from Match of the Day for criticising language used by ministers to describe immigration policy, and the appointment by former prime minister Boris Johnson of Conservative donor and supporter Richard Sharp as the BBC's chairman.