Prime Minister Keir Starmer has voiced support for a “strong, independent BBC” but declined to call on US President Donald Trump to drop his threat of a $1 billion lawsuit against the broadcaster. During Prime Minister’s Questions, Starmer was pressed by Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey to tell Trump to abandon the legal demand, which Davey described as an attempt to “destroy” the BBC.
Davey accused Trump of targeting the BBC not out of concern for truth but to avoid accountability for his “lies.” He also criticised the previous Conservative government for undermining the corporation, pointing to the appointment of “cronies” to the BBC board, including former Tory spin doctor Robbie Gibb. Davey called for Gibb’s removal, but Starmer declined to comment on the “internal workings” of the BBC.
Starmer agreed that the last government had undermined the BBC and “almost everything” else, but he stopped short of directly addressing Trump’s threat. Trump has demanded amends by Friday or he will proceed with litigation over a BBC Panorama edit of his January 6 speech that he claims made him appear “more radical.” The BBC has yet to issue a formal response.
BBC Chair Samir Shah earlier described Trump as a “litigious fellow” and said the corporation was prepared for all outcomes. Trump has launched several lawsuits against US media outlets in his second term, including a $15 billion case against the New York Times, which was initially thrown out by a federal judge but later refiled.
