Sir Keir Starmer has backed a “strong, independent BBC” in Parliament but declined to urge Donald Trump to drop his threat of a $1bn legal action against the broadcaster. The US President has demanded amends by Friday or he will launch litigation over an edited video of his January 6 speech that he claims made him look “more radical”.
During Prime Minister’s Questions, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said Mr Trump was “trying to destroy our BBC, not because he cares about the truth, but because he doesn’t want to get away with his lies”. He also criticised the previous Conservative government, claiming it had put “two cronies” on the BBC board, including former Tory spin doctor Robbie Gibb. Sir Keir agreed the last government had undermined the BBC but declined to comment on its “internal workings”.
Reform UK has pulled out of a BBC documentary about the party, citing a loss of trust. The broadcaster has yet to respond publicly to Mr Trump’s threat, though its chairman, Samir Shah, described the President as a “litigious fellow” and said the corporation was prepared for all outcomes.
The lawsuit threat follows a series of legal actions Mr Trump has brought against US media outlets during his second term, including a $15bn case against the New York Times that was initially thrown out by a federal judge before being refiled.
