The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, has issued a stark warning that the BBC is under unprecedented attack and must be saved from its enemies, both foreign and domestic. He argues that one of the first crucial steps is the immediate removal of board member Robbie Gibb, a figure with deep ties to the Conservative party and the partisan broadcaster GB News.
The Global Assault on a British Institution
Sir Ed Davey contends that the BBC, the world's premier source of trusted news, is being deliberately targeted by right-wing populists. He singles out former US President Donald Trump for launching a fresh offensive, which includes attacking BBC journalists as "corrupt" and threatening legal action. This, Davey suggests, is because authoritative journalism is the natural enemy of those whose power relies on "conspiracy theories and distortions of the truth".
The MP for Kingston and Surbiton points out that this is not an isolated incident. He recalls that Trump's ally, Nigel Farage, labelled the BBC "the enemy" in 2019. Furthermore, Dominic Cummings once authored a report branding the corporation the "mortal enemy" of the Conservative party and proposed creating a "Fox News equivalent" to challenge it.
Political Appointments Undermining Impartiality
Davey highlights that the threat is not only external. He asserts that the BBC's independence has been systematically eroded from within by political appointments made by the former Conservative government. In 2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed two figures to the BBC board: Richard Sharp as Chair and Robbie Gibb as a non-executive director.
While Sharp has since resigned over the scandal involving an £800,000 loan facility for Boris Johnson, Gibb remains in his post. Davey emphasises Gibb's political background, noting he served as director of communications for Theresa May and was an editorial adviser at GB News before his BBC appointment. The Liberal Democrat leader also states that Gibb has been accused of "interfering with editorial decisions in a way that is totally unacceptable for a member of the board".
A Call to Action to Protect the BBC
Sir Ed acknowledges that the BBC is not beyond reproach, citing its error in editing a Donald Trump speech and its past over-reliance on Nigel Farage as a commentator. However, he passionately defends the corporation as a precious national institution that "belongs to us all".
He argues that its core mission to "inform, educate and entertain" must be protected from coercion and bullying. To ensure this, Davey makes two key demands of the government. Firstly, Robbie Gibb must be removed from the BBC board immediately and should play no part in selecting the next Director-General. Secondly, the practice of political appointments to the BBC must end altogether to restore its impartiality and public trust.
"We cannot let it be destroyed by its enemies – whether that’s Trump, Farage, the Conservative party or anyone else," Davey concludes, urging the public to defend the broadcaster they own and pay for.
