I wonder if its worse being Mrs. Dyke?

The BBC is a globally venerated institution that has brought the world such classics as The Goons and Monty Pyton through to the Office which won the comedy prizes at the recent Golden Globes.

They began as a public broadcasting service and have remained so because in the UK you have to have a license for TV - it's about $275 a year (you get a $10 discount if you are blind which I've always found a rather bad joke). Anyway they are able to be completely independent and defend this to the very end even when they have governors who are known to be politically sympathetic as was the case recently. Sympathetic that is to Mr. Blair's camp which is why this battle between the two parties re-inforces the BBC's principled stand.

One reporter was recently found to have been unable to justify a part of a story that the BBC ran at six in the morning on a quality but low audience radio station. The governors backed their journalist against the government but the subsequent report into our leading expert in WMD's death found that the reporter's story was unfounded.

It is interesting why our leading guy on WMD should be talking to an investigative journalist without authorisation and unfounded is not quite the same as saying that what was alleged was untrue.

The suicide of Dr. Kelly the expert had all the hallmarks of a tragedy born out of the bullying, arrogant and self interested government that many have seen Mr. Blair's clique to be.

However unsatisfactory the findings of the enquiry, the BBC's Chairman, Chief Executive and Reporter have all resigned. I can't remember the last time a politician had this nobility - but there you go.