Sir Michael Lyons appointed Chairman of the BBC Trust
There has been quite a lot of comment in the Conservative blogosphere on the appointment of Sir Michael Lyons as Chairman of the BBC Trust. And much of it has been from those who know little of Michael and who have never seen him in action.
I know Michael Lyons well. For the past two years he and I have served together on the Board of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra where Michael is Chairman and I chair the Finance Committee.
Prior to that I knew Michael when he was Chief Executive of Birmingham Council - the largest metropolitan authority in Europe where he earned the strong respect of all political parties. And in 2004 I invited him to make a presentation to the British-American Project conference in Chicago in 2004 on a theme of the City and Region of the Future.
Michael is a good man, and he is an exceptional man-manager. His portfolio of experience ranging from elected politics to managing large local authorities, and from business and the law to academia, broadcasting and the arts is exceptional.
I've had close contact with Michael overseeing the management of one of Europe's great orchestras. Over the past two years the CBSO has faced considerable challenge, not least in the directive from Financial Secretary to the Treasury Dawn Primarolo that orchestras should pay National Insurance Contributions on some of their players' earnings and that the claim from HMRC should be back dated to 1999. That would have cost the already cash-strapped orchestra sector £31m - a sum equivalent to its total funding from the Arts Council since 1997. Michael Lyons led the British orchestral sector’s robust and effective response to a bad government directive that would have been a nightmare scenario, winning an appeal that means that that orchestras only pay NICs on future earnings.
Over the past two years I have taken part in Board meetings where Michael has handled very sensitive matters, particularly with the Musicians Union and BECTU, with real authority. His pragmatism and business sense is impressive. In fact at more than one meeting I have been so surprised by his authoritative rebuttal of the Union position that I suggested he would be comfortable joining David Cameron’s Conservatives. On each occasion he smiled knowingly at me!
Due to the term limit on Board membership at the CBSO this is Michael’s last year as chairman of the orchestra. He agreed to my suggestion that we approach Odgers Ray & Berndsen to conduct an independent and professional search for his successor. They were not a headhunter of whom Michael was particularly aware when we first met them at the end of last year. Their on-going process has been rigorous, open and wide-ranging.
It is Odgers who have conducted the BBC Trust search too, and I suspect just as professionally. I'm pleased that this has been done independently and not just by the party of government appointing its latest favourite.
Certainly in a parliamentary democracy an appointment of this significance should have been reported to parliament when it was in session, and not hidden away during a recess. And the argument that scrutiny should have been open to a parliamentary Select Committee before confirmation was made is valid and should be a precedent for the future. But don't blame Sir Michael Lyons for that. He is reported as being close to Gordon Brown, but let me make it clear, Michael is no-one’s crony.
Having worked with Michael closely I can report that a very capable, competent and imaginative appointment has been made. Sir Michael Lyons will be an excellent Chairman of the BBC Trust. He won’t suffer any fools. And I suspect that the nation will grow to respect him, as I do.
