BBC lawsuit risks turning 'Trump's America into Farage's Britain'
The BBC has apologised to the US president but so far has refused to compensate him.
Sir Ed Davey has warned that paying Donald Trump’s $1 billion lawsuit against the BBC risks turning “Trump’s America into Farage’s Britain”.
US President Donald Trump is planning to sue the BBC for between $1bn (£759 million) and $5bn after the corporation apologised for how his speech was edited by Panorama.
So far the BBC has refused to compensate Mr Trump.
On Thursday the BBC said the edit of the January 6, 2021 speech had unintentionally given “the mistaken impression that Mr Trump had made a direct fall for violent action” ahead of the Capitol Hill riots.
The BBC has also said the programme would not be broadcast again.
The UK Lib Dem leader has said it is “outrageous” that the head of a foreign country which is an ally to the UK should be lodging this kind of lawsuit.
Speaking to BBC Sundays with Laura Kuenssberg, Sir Ed said: “I am a great defender of the BBC and public service broadcasting.
“It is crucial to our free media, but there is no way they should be paying Donald Trump.
“I have my own criticism of the BBC with its coverage of British politics and it is important the BBC improves on that to keep the trust of the British people.”
He added: “The BBC has rightly apologised.
“There was an error made, but the idea of having a head of a foreign government undermining public institutions is quite outrageous.
“Millions of TV licence fee payers will be shocked at Donald Trump coming to pick their pockets.
“What worries me above all is Trump’s America coming to Britain if we are not careful.
“Trump has undermined the freedom of the American press, taken away money from public service broadcasters and threatened lawsuits against them to silence criticism of himself in America.
“If we allow that to happen, Trump’s America becomes Farage’s Britain, and it is disgraceful that a leader of a party here with Farage is egging him on.”
Lord Tony Hall, the ex-director general of the BBC, also told Kuenssberg the BBC should not pay out this sum.
He said: “It shouldn’t happen.
“I would never agree to money being paid to Donald Trump, we are talking about licence fee money, public money - it is not appropriate.”
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