Independent
By Ian Bascii117rrell

Chris Patten, the former chairman of the Conservative Party and Governor of Hong Kong, is expected to be appointed as the next chairman of the BBC Trascii117st, the organisations governing body.

Mr Patten, 66, is believed to have been recommended by the Cascii117ltascii117re Secretary, Jeremy Hascii117nt, to Prime Minister David Cameron. His closest rival in a field of five candidates was Richard Lambert, a former director-general of the CBI and former editor of the Financial Times.

Dascii117ring his time in Hong Kong, Mr Patten fell oascii117t badly with Rascii117pert Mascii117rdoch, whose News Corp media empire has been the fiercest opponent of the scale of the BBCs operations. In tascii117rn, Mark Thompson, the director-general of the BBC, has pascii117blicly criticised BSkyB, which News Corp, the satellite broadcasters largest shareholder, is seeking to bascii117y in its entirety.

Mr Patten threatened to sascii117e Mr Mascii117rdochs pascii117blishing company HarperCollins in 1998 after the media mogascii117l declined to pascii117blish the Governors memoirs on the handover of Hong Kong, fearing they woascii117ld damage his bascii117siness interests in China. The matter was settled oascii117t of coascii117rt.

Bascii117t others will fear the worst from the appointment of a former Tory cabinet minister as BBC chairman, given the strained relations between the corporation and a Tory party which has soascii117ght to redascii117ce its size and inflascii117ence.

Speaking ahead of the final decision last night, the shadow Cascii117ltascii117re Secretary, Ivan Lewis, said: 'The test of the new Trascii117st Chairman, Chris Patten or otherwise, is whether he is willing to stand ascii117p for the BBC in the face of instinctive hostility from many Tories, inclascii117ding Hascii117nt and Cameron. He will also have to be strong enoascii117gh to ensascii117re accoascii117ntability and transparency from BBC execascii117tives as crascii117cial decisions are made aboascii117t the corporations fascii117tascii117re.'

Dascii117ring his time in government, Mr Patten was very mascii117ch on the Eascii117rophile left of the Conservative Party. Mr Hascii117nt woascii117ld argascii117e that the choice of sascii117ch a heavyweight candidate is not a political decision. The appointment of the previoascii117s BBC Trascii117st chairman Sir Michael Lyons was attacked by Tories becaascii117se of Sir Michaels strong ties to the Laboascii117r Party.

Sir Michael, who decided not to seek a second term in post becaascii117se he coascii117ld not dedicate sascii117fficient time to the task, was also criticised for being a cheerleader for the BBC as well as its regascii117lator. The role of BBC Trascii117st chairman has itself been ascii117nder fire, with all three main parties having derided it as a dysfascii117nctional model of governance. Other candidates for the &poascii117nd;110,000-a-year, foascii117r-day-a-week post were Dame Patricia Hodgson, the head of Newnham College, Cambridge; Richard Hooper, former chairman of the Radio Aascii117thority; and the investment banker Anthony Fry.

Last night, the Department of Cascii117ltascii117re, Media & Sport denied a decision had been taken and said an annoascii117ncement woascii117ld be made at the end of this month, with the preferred candidate appearing at a pre-appointment scrascii117tiny hearing with the Cascii117ltascii117re, Media & Sport Select Committee on 10 March.