The former Labour minister who is now the BBC’s head of radio and education, is to take on responsibility for its religious affairs programming amid criticism that recent cuts have hit coverage.

James Purnell will add the role to his existing responsibilities, said the director general, Tony Hall, following the departure earlier this month of Aaqil Ahmed, who was the corporation’s head of religion and ethics.

Hall said the decision meant the BBC was taking “one of the big issues of our times” seriously, and told an invited audience Purnell would make sure BBC output in television, radio and news was “joined up”.

Martin Bashir. Photograph: ITV/Rex Features

Hall also appeared to promote Martin Bashir, appointed religious affairs correspondent just two months ago, to the more senior role of “religious editor”.

Roger Bolton, a broadcaster and trustee of Sandford St Martin, which aims to promote religious programming, was critical of the failure to replace Ahmed, the first Muslim to hold the post, who left the BBC earlier this month. Ahmed’s ability to commission programmes had already been axed as part of cost cuts in 2015.

“If they think that’s the end of the process there will be a great deal of anger,” said Bolton of the decision to make one of Hall’s most senior lieutenants responsible.

Bolton, who also presents the Feedback programme for BBC Radio 4, said the danger was that “the BBC talks the talk but doesn’t appear to do anything else”.

Hall is also to invite religious leaders in the UK to a round table in January as part of an effort to do more to reflect the role of religion in Britain – not just in its news and current affairs, but also in its drama and factual programming.

Speaking at the Voice of the Viewer and Listener autumn conference, Hall described religion as “one of the big dividing issues of our time”. Asked if the rise in hate crime added to the concern he said it had.

Under recent changes, including the departure of Ahmed after seven years, the religion and ethics production team of BBC Studios will come under the management of Factual Scotland.

A BBC source said: “The BBC can and must do more to ensure that the important role faith plays is recognised and reflected in our programming.”



The source went on to reject accusations that the BBC was “in any way diminishing what it does around Christianity”. The Daily Mail, among others, has criticised the BBC for increasing its coverage of other faiths at the expense of Songs of Praise, for example.