Last minute

When a sport has to turn to something as complex as the Duckworth-Lewis method to produce a result, there are some fundamental issues with the game. When an organisation has to resort to the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution to settle issues around presenter pay, it's in a right mess.

The inner conclave of BBC apparatchiks will be gathered around a 55" Samsung in the Harry Gration and Christa Ackroyd conference room at Broadcasting House this morning, twitching in anticipation of Dashing Damian Collins' Culture Select Committee meeting looking at presenter pay and personal service companies.

The BBC late offer of dispute resolution will not stop the relentless disclosure of the obvious; the BBC did force people into Personal Services Companies, with no alternative; and the BBC has been rough on some it dragged back on to staff terms and conditions. Why the management has been denying this is most peculiar.

I'm sure I'm not the only person with redacted emails to hand now. Try this, from a 2009 email to an agent "We are only permitted to offer long term guarantees of regular programming to individuals who provide their services to us via a service company."  Signed by someone styling themselves "Lawyer, Legal Affairs, Talent & Rights Negotiation Group". The email says the decision has been taken by the BBC's Head of Tax, "endorsed by the Finance, Rights and Production areas"; so it looks like more than a handful knew, eh ?