Sir David Clementi to be next BBC chairman

Sir David Clementi, a former deputy governor of the Bank of England, has been named as the incoming chair of the BBC’s new unitary board, successor to the BBC Trust.

Clementi was confirmed as preferred candidate for the post by prime minister Theresa May following his nomination by culture secretary Karen Bradley ahead of a formal transition to the new unitary board on 1 April.

Bradley remarked: “I am confident that Sir David will provide the strong leadership necessary for the BBC to remain the world’s best broadcaster.

“Sir David will bring a wealth of experience to the role and was the strongest candidate in an extremely competitive and high-calibre field. He has extensive experience as a chairman in both the commercial and not-for-profit sector and has a strong regulatory and business background.”

Clementi, who has no experience in broadcasting, published a report in march calling for the BBC to form a unitary board and hand oversight to media regulator Ofcom.