Carter ready to quit as Digital Britain report looms

 

Gallery

By Stuart Turton

Posted on 12 Jun 2009 at 09:27

Communications Minister, Lord Stephen Carter, plans to quit the Government on the eve of his Digital Britain study, according to reports.

Lord Carter is thought to be heading back to the private sector, with speculation suggesting he is in the running to become ITV's new chief executive, according to a report in The Times.

The story comes as Carter puts the finishing touches to the Digital Britain report, which is set to completely reshape the communications landscape in the UK - most notably by including a Universal Broadband Obligation, ensuring everybody in the country can receive at least a 2Mbits/sec broadband connection.

The report is also expected to tackle illegal file-sharing - an issue under intense lobbying from the film and music industries.

Speaking to The Times, Lord Carter would only say that, "I'm beavering away feverishly on my report, that's my only preoccupation."

Carter was only drafted into the Government 18 ago months after stints as chief executive of PR firm Brunswick and regulator Ofcom. He initially served as Gordon Brown's chief of strategy and principal adviser. After a reported falling out with Brown's spin doctor Damian McBride, Carter became Communications Minister with a responsibility for reshaping the nations's telecoms network.

Give the importance of the Digital Britain report, and the level of scrutiny Lord Carter's been under while drafting it, his departure before publication is sure to raise a few eyebrows.