Letter: A vote for Dyke

Sir: I must take issue with your leader (Review, 3 June) claiming that Greg Dyke cannot become director general of the BBC.

All sides of the argument seem to agree that Mr Dyke is the best candidate for the job, and that his relationships with the Labour Party and in particular with Tony Blair are the sole reasons for his ineligibility.

Paradoxically, it is argued that a man held to be supremely qualified to hold the most important job in British broadcasting is so lacking in his personal and professional judgement that he must be barred from the position.

Presumably this argument hinges on Mr Dyke either being covertly politically biased or being so naive as to allow himself to be manipulated by the new Labour party machine?

Let us remember that Mr Dyke has always been open and honest about his links to the Labour Party. Is he really likely to change?

Considering the second argument, I suggest that no one could rise to fulfil the positions Mr Dyke has held without being canny enough to know when others were trying to use him.

I do not accept your suggestion that it is important for the director general to be "impartial and be seen to be so". I believe that "impartial" should be replaced by "honourable".

William Hague's intervention ("Tories refuse to accept Dyke for BBC position", 2 June) only reinforces the somewhat ham-fisted touch that has epitomised his leadership to date

Mr Dyke is the best candidate to ensure the long-term future of the BBC.

ANTHONY W PRIME

Crewe,

Cheshire