Do it properly

It's a bit odd. It seems that No 10 and Friends of No 10 want the BBC to lead on changing the way its funded. Baroness Cotes aka Nicky Morgan boosts her new daily allowance with an article for the Telegraph, in which she opines: "When reform is unavoidable, the best way to tackle it is to start the ball rolling yourself. The future leadership of the BBC would best aid their cause by accepting that “no change” is not an option."

She also thinks all BBC employees will eventually see the light: "I’ve lost count of the number of times BBC employees have acknowledged, without prompting, that the institution needs to change. But not everyone is there yet."

As I've said before, Mr Cummings wants a DG candidate ready and willing to bear their naked pearlescent neck to the TaxPayers' Alliance-sharpened fangs of an administration thirsting for blood.

The right way forward is for the currently-elected Government to set the terms of a public service broadcasting review, appoint someone credible to lead it, and let the BBC, like everyone else interested, make their case. We had the Beveridge Committee in 1951, the Pilkington Committee of 1960/62; John Stonehouse tried to set up the Annan Committee in 1970, Roy Jenkins actually got it going in 1974, and it reported in 1977. Mrs Thatcher had the Peacock Review in 1985/6.

Ms Morgan comes close to stating the case:  "The key issue for 2020 is for the debate about the future funding of the BBC and its broader role to start and, more importantly, to be conducted in a transparent, open-minded and constructive way – avoiding defensiveness on the part of the BBC and its employees and any hint of settling old scores from those who want to see change. "  This, however, is probably way too much process for Cummings and Matthew Elliott.