LONDON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office on Tuesday said that any legal action against the BBC was a matter for the broadcaster but the government supported its
UK PM Starmer Comments on Trump's Legal Action Against BBC
LONDON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office on Tuesday said that any legal action against the BBC was a matter for the broadcaster but the government supported its independence, after a lawsuit brought by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump sued the BBC for up to $10 billion in damages over edited clips of a speech that made it appear he directed supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol, opening an international front in his fight against media coverage he deems untrue or unfair.
"Any legal action is a matter for the BBC itself. They've made clear they believe there's no case around the broader point of defamation or libel, but that's for them and their legal teams to engage with," a spokesperson for Starmer told reporters.
"We will always defend the principle of a strong, independent BBC as a trusted, relied-upon national broadcaster, reporting without fear or favour. But as we've also consistently said, it's vitally important that they act to maintain trust, correcting mistakes quickly when they occur."
(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, writing by Alistair Smout, editing by Sarah Young)
