'Worrying assault on the BBC' by Conservatives - Labour's Tristram Hunt

Culture Secretary John Whittingdale has chosen eight people to advise the government over a fundamental review of the BBC, as its licence fee comes up for renewal.

But Labour's Tristram Hunt has accused the government of an "assault" on the BBC.

"Some of the assaults which certain newspapers are leading, with the Conservative Party, against the BBC is really very worrying", he said.

He added that "when we think English identity, or indeed British identity, the BBC is a part of that and I think the way in which the government is assaulting the BBC is actually a rather unpatriotic approach to one of our great public institutions".