Reports of a “board-level orchestrated coup” at the BBC are “complete nonsense”, non-executive director Sir Robbie Gibb has told MPs.

Sir Robbie, whose position on the BBC board has been challenged by critics in recent weeks, was among senior leaders, including the broadcaster’s chair, Samir Shah, to face questions from the Culture, Media and Sport committee about the current crisis.

The hearing took place in the wake of the fallout over the edit of a speech by US President Donald Trump, which prompted the resignation of the corporation’s director-general and the chief executive of BBC News, and the threat of a lawsuit from the US president.

Former editorial adviser Michael Prescott, whose leaked memo sparked the recent chain of events, also answered questions from MPs – telling the hearing he felt he kept seeing “incipient problems” that were not being tackled.

He also said Mr Trump’s reputation had “probably not” been tarnished by the Panorama edit.

During his own questioning, Sir Robbie addressed concerns of potential political bias – he left BBC News in 2017 to become then prime minister Theresa May’s director of communications, a post he held until 2019, and was appointed to the BBC board in 2021 by Boris Johnson.

“I know it’s hard to marry the fact that I spent two years as director of communications for the government… and my genuine passion for impartiality,” he said.

“I want to hear the full range of views… I don’t want the BBC to be partisan or favour any particular way.”

Asked about reports and speculation that there has been a “board-level orchestrated coup”, Sir Robbie responded: “It’s up there as one of the most ridiculous charges… People had to find some angle.

“It’s complete nonsense. It’s also deeply offensive to fellow board members… people of great standing in different fields.”

He said his political work has been “weaponised” – and that it was hard as a non-executive member of the BBC to respond to criticism.

‘We should have made the decision earlier’

Mr Shah admitted the BBC was too slow in responding to the issue of the Panorama edit of Mr Trump, which had been flagged long before the leaked memo.

“Looking back, I think we should have made the decision earlier,” he said. “I think in May, as it happens.

“I think there is an issue about how quickly we respond, the speed of our response. Why do we not do it quickly enough? Why do we take so much time? And this was another illustration of that.”

Following reports of the leaked memo, it took nearly a week for the BBC to issue an apology.

Mr Shah told the committee he did not think Mr Davie needed to resign over the issue and that he “spent a great deal of time” trying to stop him from doing so.

Is director-general role too big for one person?

Asked about his own position, Mr Shah said his job now is to “steady the ship”, and that he is not someone “who walks away from a problem”.

A job advert for the BBC director-general role has since gone live on the corporation’s careers website.

Mr Shah told the hearing his view is that the role is “too big” for one person and that he is “inclined” to restructure roles at the top.

He says he believes there should also be a deputy director-general who is “laser-focused on journalism”, which is “the most important thing and our greatest vulnerability”.

Earlier in the hearing, Mr Prescott gave evidence alongside another former BBC editorial adviser, Caroline Daniel.

He told the CMS committee that there are “issues of denial” at the BBC and said “the management did not accept there was a problem” with the Panorama episode.

Mr Prescott’s memo highlighted concerns about the way clips of Mr Trump’s speech on January 6 2021 were spliced together so it appeared he had told supporters he was going to walk to the US Capitol with them to “fight like hell”.

‘I can’t think of anything I agree with Trump on’

Mr Trump has said he is going to pursue a lawsuit of between $1bn and $5bn against the broadcaster, despite receiving an official public apology.

Asked if the documentary had harmed Mr Trump’s image, Mr Prescott responded: “I should probably restrain myself a little bit, given that there is a potential legal action.

“All I could say is, I can’t think of anything I agree with Donald Trump on.”

He was later pushed on the subject, and asked again if he agreed that the programme tarnished the president’s reputation, to which he then replied: “Probably not.”

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Mr Prescott, a former journalist, also told the committee he did not know how his memo was leaked to the Daily Telegraph.

“At the most fundamental level, I wrote that memo, let me be clear, because I am a strong supporter of the BBC.

“The BBC employs talented professionals across all of its factual and non-factual programmes, and most people in this country, certainly myself included, might go as far as to say that they love the BBC.

He said he “never envisaged” the fallout that would occur. “I was hoping the concerns I had could, and would, be addressed privately in the first instance.”

Asked if he thinks the BBC is institutionally biased, he said: “No, I don’t.”

He said that “tonnes” of the BBC’s work is “world class” – but added that there is “real work that needs to be done” to deal with problems.

Mr Davie, he said, did a “first-rate job” as director-general but had a “blind spot” toward editorial failings.

Nigel Farage has said he did not racially abuse fellow pupils while at school in a “hurtful or insulting way”.

The Reform UK leader said he had never been part of “an extremist organisation or engaged in direct, unpleasant personal abuse” but added: “Can I remember everything that happened at school? No, I can’t.”

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Speaking to reporters on Monday, Mr Farage said there was a “strong political element” to the allegations, which were first published in The Guardian.

The newspaper reported that the former UKIP leader allegedly made racist and antisemitic comments while he was a pupil at Dulwich College, an independent school in south London.

But asked whether he racially abused fellow pupils when he was at school, Mr Farage said: “No.

“And this is 49 years ago, by the way. 49 years ago. Have I ever tried to take it out on any individual on the basis of where they’re from? No.”

Pressed on the same question again, he replied: “I would never, ever do it in a hurtful or insulting way.”

He added: “I just entered my teens. Can I remember everything that happened at school? No, I can’t. Have I ever been part of an extremist organisation or engaged in direct, unpleasant personal abuse, genuine abuse, on that basis? No.”

Challenged on what was described as a “very caveated” answer – and that he was “not quite ruling this out”, the Reform UK leader responded: “I’ve never directly really tried to go and hurt anybody.

“Have I said things 50 years ago that you could interpret as being banter in a playground that you could interpret in a modern light of day in some sort of way? Yes.

“Have I ever misspoken in my life in my younger days when I was a child? Probably.

“I would say to you, there is a strong political element to this.”

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The latest accusations come after Sarah Pochin, the Reform MP for Runcorn and Helsby, was embroiled in a racism row after she said it “drives me mad when I see adverts full of black people, full of Asian people”, which do not “reflect our society” – comments she later apologised for.

Mr Farage told reporters that while he was “unhappy” about the “ugly” remarks, he did not think they were “racist”.

But Sir Keir Starmer has called Mr Farage “spineless” for not taking action against Ms Pochin for “obvious racism”.

He told reporters last week: “The man is spineless. If that had been someone in my party, I’d have dealt with it straight away.

“He needs to explain the latest allegations, and whilst he’s at it, he needs to explain why he’s too spineless to take action in relation to what is obvious racism in the comments of his fellow MP.”

Luxury cars will no longer be available for Motabiltiy recipients, it has been announced, with the government saying more money will also go to British manufacturers under changes.

The announcement comes just days ahead of the budget, although it does not appear that the announcement will have any change to government finances.

Motability is a scheme whereby people getting personal independence payments (PIP) can sacrifice part of their benefits in exchange for a rental vehicle, if they are eligible.

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Motability vehicles are eligible for tax breaks, and the scheme has come under criticism for the notable increase in recipients without visible disabilities, alongside an increase in the volume of PIP recipients.

There has also been criticism of the luxury options available, which people can pay extra money for.

Proponents argue the scheme helps people get around and allows them to keep jobs and live more independently. The scheme also pays for adaptations to vehicles if people need them.

Tonight’s announcement comes from Motability Operations, the charity which operates the scheme.

It says the aim is for 50% of vehicles leased through the scheme to be built in Britain by 2035, claiming it will support UK economic growth with a demand for 150,000 vehicles every year.

However, luxury brands such as BMW and Mercedes will be removed as options, alongside the likes of Jaguar and Land Rover, “immediately”.

An announcement from Motability said: “In the short term, Motability Operations will work closely with UK-based manufacturers to increase the share of British-built vehicles leased by customers, while maintaining affordability, choice and quality.

“This includes doubling the number of Nissan British-built vehicles that the scheme leases to around 40,000.

“The intention would be that 25% of cars on the scheme would be UK-built by 2030, up from 7% today.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “Backing British car manufacturing will support thousands of well-paid, skilled jobs and is exactly the long-term investment our Modern Industrial Strategy delivers.

“We are growing the economy to bring down debt, cut NHS waiting lists and cut the cost of living.”

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The government is tonight refusing to say if it will change the Motability eligibility criteria in the budget, with any changes in this regard likely to come about as a result of the Timms review into PIP.

Earlier this year, the government tried to reduce the swelling PIP bill, but was defeated by its own backbenchers, launching a review chaired by minister Stephen Timms to look at the system.

Mr Timms said last month that “there will be no changes to the eligibility conditions for the mobility component of the personal independence payment” until his review finishes in a year’s time.

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It is widely expected the government will increase welfare spending in the budget by scrapping the two-child benefit cap.

Taxes are also expected to rise, as the government wants to find more headroom and avoid cutting budgets.