Mr Dowden told the JC: “We are an open and tolerant society and there is no place for antisemitism on or offline. These allegations are very concerning and, as the nation’s broadcaster, we expect BBC journalists to adhere to the highest standards of impartiality.”
The JC’s initial report on Mr Thaker was published on Tuesday, the same day that the BBC’s new director-general Tim Davie started his new role.
In a bid to restore the BBC’s reputation for impartiality, Mr Davie is expected to tell staff this week that journalists must not allow personal politics to impact on their work.
Mr Davie — who has replaced Lord Hall in the director-general role — was previously the chief executive of BBC Worldwide, now BBC Studios.
He is known to be concerned about claims of political bias at the BBC —including accusations of left-wing bias in comedy shows.
A statement issued by the corporation on Wednesday following the JC’s report said: “The BBC takes allegations of this nature extremely seriously, and while we cannot comment on individual staff issues, we have robust processes in place to investigate any such matters with urgency.”
