US President Donald Trump has thanked The Telegraph newspaper for exposing BBC bias.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, the president wrote: “The TOP people in the BBC, including TIM DAVIE, the BOSS, are all quitting/FIRED, because they were caught “doctoring” my very good (PERFECT!) speech of January 6th.
“Thank you to The Telegraph for exposing these Corrupt “Journalists.” These are very dishonest people who tried to step on the scales of a Presidential Election. On top of everything else, they are from a Foreign Country, one that many consider our Number One Ally. What a terrible thing for Democracy!”
The White House wasted little time in gloating over the resignations of Tim Davie and Deborah Turness, posting a meme on social media which suggested Mr Trump’s influence had toppled the BBC executives.
The high-profile departures followed the revelations in a 19-page memo brought to light by The Telegraph that Panorama doctored a speech by Mr Trump to suggest he encouraged the January 2021 riots at the Capitol.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously told The Telegraph: “This purposefully dishonestly, selectively edited clip by the BBC is further evidence that they are total, 100 per cent fake news that should no longer be worth the time on the television screens of the great people of the United Kingdom.”
Sir Ed Davey has warned that the White House’s jibe at the BBC should “worry us all”.
Responding to the White House jibe on X, the Lib Dem leader wrote: “I had my disagreements with the BBC under Tim Davie but he was a decent man doing a difficult job.
“To see Trump’s White House claiming credit for his downfall and attacking the BBC should worry us all.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) has called for an independent inquiry into potential bias at the BBC.
In a statement, the charity accused the public service broadcaster of feeding the licence fee payer a diet of Hamas propaganda.
Kemi Badenoch has warned that two resignations will not resolve institutional bias at the BBC.
The Tory leader said: “It’s right that Tim Davie and Deborah Turness have finally taken responsibility and resigned from the BBC.
“But let’s be honest, this has been a catalogue of serious failures that runs far deeper. The Prescott report exposed institutional bias that cannot be swept away with two resignations – strong action must be taken on all the issues it raised.
“The culture at the BBC has not yet changed.”
Mrs Badenoch said the BBC still has a long way to go Credit: Anadolu
The Tory leader said BBC Arabic must be brought under control and the BBC’s US and Middle East coverage needed a full overhaul.
The Telegraph revealed on Sunday that the BBC Arabic has been forced to correct two stories a week about the Gaza conflict since the Oct 7 attacks.
Mrs Badenoch added: “On basic matters of biology, the corporation can no longer allow its output to be shaped by a cabal of ideological activists.
“The new leadership must now deliver genuine reform of the culture of the BBC, top to bottom – because it should not expect the public to keep funding it through a compulsory licence fee unless it can finally demonstrate true impartiality.”
Nigel Farage has said the BBC must overhaul its culture or risk a rebellion over the licence fee.
The Reform UK leader said: “Davie and Turness going must be the start of wholesale change.
“The Government need to appoint somebody with a record of coming in and turning companies and their cultures around. Preferably it would be someone coming in from the private sector who has run a forward-facing business and understands PR.
“This is the BBC’s last chance. If they don’t get this right, there will be vast numbers of people refusing to pay the licence fee.”
Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, emphasised the need for “trusted and high-quality” reporting amid a rise in misinformation.
Reacting to the resignations, she said: “The BBC is one of our most important national institutions. Every day, it tells the story of who we are – the people, places and communities that make up life across the UK.
“Now more than ever, the need for trusted news and high-quality programming is essential to our democratic and cultural life, and our place in the world.”
Ms Nandy added: “As a Government, we will support the Board as it manages this transition and we will ensure that the Charter Review is the catalyst that helps the BBC to adapt to this new era and secures its role at the heart of national life for decades to come.”
BBC chair Samir Shah is expected to write to the culture, media and sport committee on Monday to express regret over the doctoring of Mr Trump’s speech.
Latest updates
Samuel Montgomery.
Neil Johnston
Senior news reporter.
Charles Hymas
Home Affairs Editor.
Amy Gibbons
Political Correspondent.
Benedict Smith
US Reporter
11:31PM
That’s all for today
Thank you for following our live blog on Tim Davie’s resignation.
Here’s a recap:
The Tories said the public has ‘completely lost trust’ in the BBC
The Telegraph revealed the US president’s speech was ‘doctored’ by the broadcaster
Nigel Farage said the BBC must overhaul its culture or risk licence fee rebellion
The White House gloated over the director-general’s resignation
Sir Ed Davey described the resignations as an opportunity to turn a new leaf
The Culture Secretary said high-quality reporting is needed amid a rise in misinformation
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10:25PM
Davey: Trump wants to ‘destroy’ the BBC
Ed Davey has accused Donald Trump of attempting to “destroy” the BBC.
“It’s easy to see why Trump wants to destroy the world’s number one news sou
