New BBC chairman 'must quit Tories'

Labour is demanding that Chris Patten, the Government's choice as the next chairman of the BBC, must resign from the Conservative Party and give up some of his other business and voluntary roles before he takes up the post.

Lord Patten of Barnes has been identified by the Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt as the best candidate to succeed Sir Michael Lyons as chairman of the BBC Trust and is due to appear before the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee of MPs tomorrow for a pre-appointment scrutiny hearing.