The editorial director of BBC News has apologised for accepting a £12,000 payment for speaking at a banker’s conference, adding that he will not be taking any money from organisers.
- Kamal Ahmed is understood to have got £12,000 for a 40-minute appearance
- The current editorial director of BBC News, he earns more than £200,000 a year
- Ahmed has now apologised for accepting the payment and will not take the cash
Kamal Ahmed is understood to have received £12,000 for a 40-minute appearance at the Aberdeen Standard Investment’s conference last week, just days after telling 450 of his colleagues that their jobs were being cut.
Ahmed – who is listed on the Speakers Associates website in the £10,000 to £25,000 per appearance category – took part in a panel discussion hosted by Steph McGovern, his former BBC colleague who now works for Channel 4.
He came under fire both publicly and within the BBC for his £12,000 fee for the event and has sent an email to colleagues apologising.
Ahmed, who earns between £205,000 and £209,999, said in his email that he was asked ‘some months ago’ to talk about ‘economic issues’ by the investment firm and that he was not asked to talk about anything related to the BBC.
He is the previous Economics editor at the corporation.
In the email, he wrote: ‘I realise now that I did not think things through sufficiently at the time of the booking and, although I did not break any of the BBC’s guidelines on external speaking, it was a mistake to agree to a fee.
‘I have told ASI this morning that I will not be taking any payment. I wanted to say sorry that a mistake made by me has become a public and internal issue.’
Ahmed, who earns between £205,000 and £209,999, was one of four senior BBC bosses who sat on bar stools as they announced the job cuts.
He drew criticism after he turned up for the ‘bloodbath’ announcement wearing a black T-shirt and casual trousers.
This was reportedly out of character for the man who as political editor of the Observer was regarded as the faithful Fleet Street mouthpiece of Tony Blair’s spin doctor Alastair Campbell.
BBC broadcaster Victoria Fritz tweeted: ‘Got to be the first time I’ve not seen Kamal in a sharp suit and tie. At least he wore black.’
After news of his appearance broke, the BBC said: ‘Editorial guidelines allow BBC journalists to carry out external speaking, or chairing, engagements as long as they maintain objectivity and impartiality.’