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Davies resigned earlier yesterday evening after Tony Blair and his former communications adviser Alastair Campbell had been exonerated by the Hutton Report into claims that the government "sexed up" its weapons of mass destruction dossier.

The BBC governors are holding a crisis meeting this morning, after hastily convening an informal meeting last night, to respond to Hutton and there is speculation that the entire board could resign plunging the BBC deeper into crisis.

Pulling no punches in a press conference, Campbell last night said that if the blame heaped on the BBC had been on the government, more than one head would roll.

"If the government had faced the level of criticisms which today Lord Hutton's report has directed at the BBC, there would have been resignations by now, several resignations at several levels," Campbell said.

In his speech the BBC chairman defended the role of the governors, who Lord Hutton said were right to defend the BBC's independence in the face of Campbell's accusations that the BBC war coverage was biased.

"Importantly, his Lordship has not suggested that the governance of the BBC has systemic defects which need to be remedied. Critics of the system should take careful note of this," Davies said.

The future of the reporter at the centre of the scandal, Andrew Gilligan, whose reports were branded "unfounded", is in doubt. His sacking could provoke industrial action, the National Union of Journalists has promised.

In his resignation speech, Davies said that "whatever the outcome, I have been brought up to believe that you can not choose your own referee, and that the referee's decision is final".

However, he did not shuffle off quietly and left asking serious questions about some of findings that the retired law lord made on the death of weapons expert Dr David Kelly.

Davies questioned whether it was possible to reconcile Lord Hutton's stark conclusions on the weapons of mass destruction dossier with the balance of evidence that was presented to him during his own Inquiry.

He asked if Lord Hutton took sufficient evidence of what was said by Dr Kelly on tape to a second BBC journalist, Susan Watts. She was hardly given a mention by Hutton.

And, thirdly, he asked whether Hutton's criticisms of the BBC took sufficient account of the extenuating circumstances created by the public attacks on the BBC during and after the war.

In his resignation speech, Davies said because the BBC is so widely trusted, it was crucial that its chairman should take personal responsibility for ensuring that the highest standards of accuracy and impartiality are maintained in its news output.

"Licence payers can not maintain their trust in the output of the BBC unless they can have confidence in its leadership," he said.

Looking forward to the BBC Charter Review, Davies responded to calls for the Hutton Report to be taken into account when the BBC's licence is reviewed.

He said that the BBC was not owned by any government but is held in perpetuity for the British people and warned that the corporation's future might not be secure.

"The public should not take its existence entirely for granted. It is frequently under attack, both from competitors, and from others who do not share or understand its principles. Its friends are too often silent when it is under threat.

"In the Charter debate now under way, the massive silent majority which loves the BBC needs more often to make its voice heard. Otherwise its future may not be secure," he said.

Tessa Jowell, secretary of state for culture, media and sport, said that in light of Lord Hutton's report, Davies had done the honourable thing

in resigning. She said he was a man of integrity and had demonstrated that in the way he has led the BBC governors.

"We will shortly advertise for a new chairman. To ensure full transparency this will be carried out fully in accordance with Nolan principles, as it was for Gavyn's appointment. It will be for the new chairman to take forward the lessons from Lord Hutton's report within the BBC," she said.

Jowell said the post of chairman will temporarily be overseen by

Richard Ryder, who is vice-chairman of the BBC governors.

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