Bob and Vanessa and Jeremy

I hope Radio 2 Controller Bob Shennan has his copy of the BBC's Editorial Guidelines. He's just (as predicted) signed Vanessa Feltz as replacement for Sarah Kennedy for the 0500-0630 weekday slot.  But he's also announced that she'll be the first call to deputise for Jeremy Vine on the lunchtime show.   This is regarded by all insiders as the network's "news and current affairs" offering.

I refer Bob to "Conflicts of interest: Off-air activities" - particularly this bit..
 
BBC staff and freelances primarily known as presenters or reporters on BBC news and current affairs programmes must not...  advocate any particular position on a matter of public policy, political or industrial controversy or other currently 'controversial subject'.


These are just some headlines from Vanessa's columns for The Daily Express from the past year.

WE WILL NOT BUY GORDON BROWN'S TURGID PROSE

WHY THE OLD GO HUNGRY IN HOSPITALS

SHAME ON TEACHERS WHO BOYCOTT SATS

WHY JOHN TERRY IS UNFIT TO BE A CAPTAIN
The BBC guidelines go on to deal with people who are newspaper columnists etc, but the last sentence seems important.

In some cases the BBC may employ as freelance presenters people whose primary occupation or identity is not the presentation of BBC news or current affairs. For example, presenters may be academics or newspaper editors or columnists and they may have particular viewpoints on current affairs. The BBC would not place the same constraints on their off-air activities as would be placed on BBC news staff or mainstream news or current affairs presenters and reporters. But employment of such freelance presenters should not undermine the BBC's impartiality and it may be advisable in some cases to state on air what their main position or occupation is and, if relevant, that they hold a partial view on a topic. Such presenters should not be used to present news bulletins or major daily news programmes dealing with a wide range of issues.