UK's Starmer tells BBC to get 'house in order' after Trump legal threat

By Sarah Young and Paul Sandle

LONDON -British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he supported a strong and independent BBC but the public broadcaster must get its "house in order" after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to sue over its editing of one of his speeches.

The British Broadcasting Corporation has been plunged into its biggest crisis in decades after its director general and head of news quit following criticism about its standards and accusations of bias, including over the Trump speech.

Starmer, who has built a solid relationship with Trump, was asked in parliament if he would tell the U.S. president to drop his threat of a $1 billion lawsuit against the BBC, which is funded by a compulsory levy on British TV-watching households.

Trump's action could result in the BBC having to use money paid by TV viewers to compensate the U.S. president, a move that would compound the crisis at the broadcaster and provide more ammunition to its critics.

'I BELIEVE IN THE BBC'

"Let me be clear, I believe in a strong and independent BBC," Starmer said on Wednesday.

"Some would rather the BBC didn't exist. Some of them are sitting up there," he said, pointing to opposition Conservative lawmakers.

"I'm not one of them. In an age of disinformation, the argument for impartial British news service is stronger than ever."

But he also said the BBC must uphold the highest standards. "Where mistakes are made, they do need to get their house in order."

The documentary, which aired before the U.S. election last year, spliced together three video excerpts from Trump's speech, creating the impression he was inciting the January 6, 2021, riot. His lawyers said this was "false and defamatory".

The BBC admitted on Monday it was an "error of judgement".

A BBC spokesperson said the broadcaster would "respond directly in due course" to Trump's threat.

Trump said on Wednesday he had an "obligation" to sue the broadcaster for misrepresenting his comments.

His lawyers said the BBC must retract its documentary by Friday or face a lawsuit for "no less" than $1 billion.

They also demanded that the BBC issue an apology and compensate Trump for what it said was "overwhelming reputational and financial harm", according to a letter, seen by Reuters.

The BBC is mainly funded by a compulsory tax, named the license fee, along with commercial revenue.

Conservative lawmaker and former media minister John Whittingdale told Reuters there would be "real anger" if the BBC had to pay license payers' money in a settlement of an action brought because of its own failure.

($1 = 0.7451 pounds)

(Reporting by Sarah Young, writing by Sam Tabahriti, editing by Catarina Demony and Paul Sandle)