The government is finalising its choice for the vacant position of chair of the UK’s broadcasting and telecoms regulator, Ofcom. It’s potentially a contentious issue as, according to well-informed government leaks, former Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre is in pole position for the job which – while notionally subject to an “independent” appointments process – is effectively in the prime minister’s “gift”.
There are many reasons why Dacre is arguably unsuitable for the job. Not least of those is his much-vaunted visceral hatred of the BBC (which Ofcom now regulates) and his lack of any relevant technical knowledge in the telecoms sector (he famously does not use a computer). But regardless of who becomes the next Ofcom chair, there is a broader issue which needs addressing: whether the regulator is still genuinely committed to promoting the interests of citizens.