Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has issued a robust defence of the BBC, vowing to 'always stand up' for the broadcaster as it faces a damaging legal threat from Donald Trump and an internal crisis over its impartiality.
PM's Pledge During Commons Clash
During his first Prime Minister's Questions since the general election, Sir Keir told MPs he was "a strong supporter" of the BBC and declared that the argument for an impartial British news service is "stronger than ever" in an age of disinformation. The Prime Minister made his comments in response to a question from Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who described the BBC as a "great British institution" under attack from a foreign government.
Sir Keir stated: "I believe in a strong and independent BBC. Some would rather the BBC didn't exist. I am not one of them." However, he also urged the Corporation to "get their house in order" where mistakes are made, emphasising that the BBC must "uphold the highest standards, be accountable, and correct errors quickly."
Trump's Legal Threat and BBC's Internal Turmoil
The Prime Minister notably dodged questions on whether he would intervene in Donald Trump's threat to sue the BBC for $1 billion. The former US president has branded the broadcaster "100 per cent fake news" in a furious row over the editing of one of his speeches in a Panorama programme.
The broadcaster is simultaneously grappling with a growing scandal over impartiality that has seen the departure of two senior figures. Tim Davie has quit as BBC director-general, while Deborah Turness has stood down as head of news. There have been further allegations of bias concerning the BBC's coverage of Israel and transgender issues.
Sir Ed Davey urged the Prime Minister to "tell President Trump to drop his demand for a billion dollar settlement from the BBC" and to guarantee that "President Trump will not get a single penny from British licence fee payers." He accused Trump of trying to "destroy our BBC" not out of concern for the truth, but because "he wants to get away with his lies."
Questions Over BBC Board and Future Leadership
The Liberal Democrat leader also turned his fire on the composition of the BBC's board, specifically targeting Sir Robbie Gibb, who served as Downing Street's director of communications under former Prime Minister Theresa May. Sir Ed branded him one of the "Conservative cronies" placed on the BBC board by the last government and called for his immediate removal.
"He's been repeatedly accused of interfering in editorial decisions and staff appointments," Sir Ed claimed. "Robbie Gibb should have no role in appointing the next director general."
In response, Sir Keir declined to comment on individual appointments, stating he would not "go into the individual runnings of the BBC," but he did agree that the previous government had "undermined the work of the BBC." The Prime Minister's firm support for the BBC's existence comes at a critical juncture for the national broadcaster, which is fighting external legal pressures while attempting to restore public confidence in its editorial judgement.
