When, in these pages, John Birt expresses wonderment at how the boy from Bootle went on to become the 12th director general of the BBC, to enter the House of Lords and be an adviser to the prime minister it is a sentiment shared by many. The clue probably lies in the brutal Irish Christian Brothers school he went to, St Mary’s in Liverpool, where beatings with the strap were carried out sadistically every day. The boys even had a name for it: Strapology.
A fellow pupil at the school has since said that as a result it tended to produce authoritarian figures who also knew how to be submissive towards the masters to avoid punishments. In other words, people who knew how to creep. Looking at Birt’s career he seems to have won over a number of people in authority, among them Margaret Thatcher when she was prime minister, the former chairman of the BBC Governors Duke Hussey, and latterly Tony Blair, whom he now advises on transport policy.
In fact, Birt knew how to charm politicians, which, to be fair, is a necessary talent for a BBC director general.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in