BBC told to ‘grovel’ to Donald Trump over Panorama documentary scandal | Politics | News
Conservatives have warned that the BBC must “humble down” to Donald Trump over the Panorama documentary scandal. The US President has threatened billion-dollar legal action over anger that has led to the resignation of two top bosses.
It comes after concerns were raised that the broadcaster had selectively edited a speech Mr Trump gave ahead of the US Capitol riots in 2021. Shadow Culture Secretary Nigel Huddleston said: “If you look at the complaint he received, the TV programme, the Panorama programme, he probably has legitimate claims of ‘look, that was wrong’ and certainly requires and demands an apology.”
“That’s why I’m advising the BBC to take a knee here. They need to make sure they make it very clear that they got this wrong and they apologize.
“And then I think we should all probably appeal. Donald Trump To make it clear that licensed taxpayers are the ones who will suffer because of the bad and bad decisions made by a group of left-wing journalists and anti-Trump journalists, and they should be the ones who should be held accountable. And please don’t punish the rest of the British public. And Donald Trump loves England. He loves the British. And I hope that statement works.”
Mr Huddleston also suggested Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer call Mr Trump.
He told Times Radio: “The BBC does a lot of things incredibly well. But there are real problems with news and current affairs and they are not doing their duty, particularly in terms of impartiality. I think that needs to be explained to Donald Trump.”
Outgoing BBC chief executive Tim Davie resigned yesterday along with BBC News chief executive Deborah Turness [TUES] He warned of the broadcaster’s “enemies” and told staff the company needed to “defend our journalism”.
Mr Davie said: “We need to be very clear and defend our journalism.
“We are a unique and valuable organization and I see the free press being oppressed, I see arming. I think we need to fight for our journalism.
“I’m really proud of our work and the amazing work we do locally and globally is hugely valuable.”
He added: “We’ve made some mistakes that have cost us, but we’ve got to fight for it. And I’m extremely proud of that and don’t let anyone stop you from thinking we’ve done a great job.”
Mr Davie told staff: “We will thrive and this story will not just be given by our enemies: this is our story.”
Downing Street declined to comment on Mr Trump’s threat to sue the BBC, saying: “This is a matter for the BBC.”
A spokesman for Number 10 added: “It is clearly not the Government’s role to comment on any ongoing legal matters.”
The spokesman said Sir Keir had not spoken to Mr Trump about the threat of legal action.
The row emerged after Michael Prescott, a former external adviser to the BBC’s broadcasting standards committee, raised concerns that clips of Mr Trump’s speech were stitched together to appear to tell his supporters he would march on the US Capitol to “fight like hell”.
The legal letter, written by Trump’s lawyer Alejandro Brito, demanded the immediate retraction of “false, defamatory, derogatory and inflammatory statements” made about Mr. Trump.
If the BBC “fail[s]to comply,” the letter states, Mr. Trump “will have no choice but to exercise his legal and equitable rights, all of which are expressly reserved and not waived, including an action for damages of not less than $1,000,000,000.”
