Coe rules himself out of the running for BBC Trust role

Sebastian Coe

Conservative peer, Sebastian Coe, has reportedly dropped out of the running to become chairman of the BBC Trust, despite being strongly tipped to take the job.

Coe, who was said to be the government’s preferred candidate for the role, has pulled his candidacy before the interview stage so he can bid to become president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) next year, according to a Daily Mail report.

“I did allow my name to go forward to give myself time to properly analyse whether I had enough time to do the job to the best of my abilities. On reflection, I haven’t the capacity and I now want to concentrate on my current commitments and the IAAF election. As everyone knows, athletics is in my DNA,” Coe told the Mail.

Coe is former Olympic gold medal-winning athlete and conservative MP who spearheaded the successful campaign to bring the Olympics to London. He is currently chairman of the British Olympic Association.

The BBC Trust chairman role has been vacant since Chris Patten stepped down in May due to health reasons. Vice-chairman Diane Coyle is currently serving as acting chairman until a successor is appointed.