BBC News plans to earmark £1m a year to recruit disabled journalists as part of a plan to improve the diversity of its workforce.

In a meeting with staff on Wednesday, BBC head of news, James Harding, outlined plans to appoint more women, people with disabilities and those from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds into senior jobs.

His remarks come a week after the BBC as a whole pledged that half its 21,000-strong workforce and leadership would be female by 2020, 15% BAME and 8% disabled.



The BBC has so far struggled to reach targets on diversity set in 2014 by direct general Tony Hall. The Labour MP and former culture minister David Lammy accused the corporation of moving too slowly, saying “rhetoric has not been matched by real progress”.

In a speech to staff, Harding said: “The leadership and management of BBC News needs more women and more black people, more Asian and ethnic minority people, more people with disabilities, more people from a wider variety of social backgrounds and more young people. In the last couple of years, we have made a noticeable difference to what the BBC looks and sounds like on air. I’d say it’s not enough, but we have done a lot. I won’t rattle off a list of names, but take a look or a listen to the news and you’ll see.”

He added: “We have got to provide more jobs and more senior ones for disabled journalists.”

Harding’s division has been criticised this week for appointing an outsider, Dominic O’Connell as business presenter on Radio 4’s Today programme.

The proposals to recruit more disabled journalists across BBC News have been submitted for approval to the BBC’s executive board.

Harding, appointed in August 2013, also announced the formation of a new “under-30s panel” to work with his senior management board “to ensure younger voices are not just heard but are helping to shape our future”. The new panel, made up of representatives from each department, is to start in September.

The plans to improve diversity come ahead of a government white paper to renew the BBC’s royal charter expected to discuss diversity is expected to be published as early as next week.