Culture Secretary Calls for Huw Edwards to Return BBC Salary Amid Guilty Plea in Child Images Case

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy Calls for Huw Edwards to Return BBC Salary

Edwards received £200,000 during a suspension period following his arrest in November, as reported by the broadcaster.

Political correspondent @alixculbertson

Friday, August 2, 2024 1:45

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The Secretary of Culture has suggested that Huw Edwards, a former BBC news anchor, should give back his earnings following his confession to viewing inappropriate child imagery.

Edwards received a £200,000 payout following his arrest in November, during which time he was suspended by the broadcasting company until his resignation in April, which was based on medical recommendations.

On Wednesday, the 62-year-old seasoned BBC employee admitted to three charges of creating inappropriate pictures of minors.

Speaking to Sky News at the Paris Olympics on Friday, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy stated, "I believe he should give back his pay."

"It seems inappropriate that someone, arrested on grave charges as far back as November, continued to earn their salary right up until their resignation. This does not seem like a prudent expenditure of taxpayer funds."

"It's likely that many across the nation would concur, though ultimately, the decision rests with him."

Discover more: Five unresolved inquiries confronting the BBC. Who is the individual convicted of pedophilia that sent Edwards photos?

On Thursday, Tim Davie, the director general of the BBC, confirmed that the network knew of Edwards' arrest on charges involving the most severe category of child indecency images when it occurred.

He was questioned about the reasons why Edwards wasn't dismissed at that time and why he kept receiving his pay, which was the highest among all employees at BBC News.

Mr. Davie convened a prompt meeting with Ms. Nandy on Thursday to discuss his management of the case.

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Ms. Nandy told Sky News, "My main focus is to ensure that we not only make the correct decision now, but also strengthen the BBC for the future. It’s crucial that when individuals raise issues or when similar decisions need to be made, we operate in an open, transparent, and fair manner, and that we handle taxpayers' money properly."

"The director general of the BBC places great importance on this issue, and it is my responsibility to ensure we achieve our goals."

In the previous month, it was revealed that Edwards received a salary ranging from £475,000 to £479,999 for the fiscal year 2023/24 prior to his resignation.

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Mr. Davie indicated that the corporation is contemplating taking legal steps to reclaim some of the funds it disbursed to Edwards.

When questioned on the possibility of retrieving the pension of the discredited broadcaster, Mr. Davie indicated that reclaiming the funds would be "extremely challenging, almost certainly unfeasible."

Speaking to the BBC on Thursday, he said, "Regarding salary, although it's legally difficult to reclaim, we are considering all possible avenues."

Mr. Davie explained that the BBC refrained from dismissing Edwards following his arrest upon police request. The police emphasized the importance of confidentiality for their investigation, stating, "We've arrested (Edwards) and need to conduct our work with complete discretion. Please keep this matter confidential."

He continued: "By then, the concept was quite clear to me, and I must emphasize, we deliberated extensively on this matter; it wasn't an impulsive choice.

"It was challenging, but consider the precedent: often, individuals are arrested, yet there are instances where no charges are filed and nothing further ensues."

"In this situation, it was clear that the matter was grave. We were aware of the general nature of the possible violations, but lacked detailed information."

Had Edwards faced charges prior to his resignation in April, he would have been terminated "on the spot."

What pictures were found on Edwards' mobile device?

After admitting guilt, it was revealed that Edwards was taken into custody when police confiscated the phone of a known sex offender, Alex Williams, during a completely separate probe.

Upon inspecting the device, South Wales Police discovered that Williams had transmitted 41 inappropriate images to Edwards via a WhatsApp conversation spanning from December 2020 to August 2021.

Among them, seven were deemed category A, twelve fell into category B, and twenty-two were assigned to category C.

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A court was informed that the children depicted in the category A images were predominantly aged between 13 and 15.

Prosecutors noted that the category A images included videos featuring young children, who appeared to be around seven to nine years old.

Edwards is set to receive his sentence on September 16.

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