Richard Tice calls for 'wholesale clear out' of BBC bias as Donald Trump files multi-billion dollar lawsuit

Richard Tice has called for a "wholesale clear out" of BBC "bias" following Donald Trump's lawsuit against the broadcaster.

Speaking to GB News, the Deputy Leader of Reform UK declared his support for the US President's legal action and called for "reform" of the broadcasting company.

Mr Trump confirmed his $10billion (£7.48billion) lawsuit against the BBC on Monday over the edit of a Panorama programme featuring his January 6 speech.

The President claimed the broadcaster may have used artificial intelligence to create false quotes, labelling it "fake news".

Delivering his verdict, Mr Tice told GB News: "Well what I'm supportive of is the fact that President Trump is requesting and requiring much greater recognition within the BBC, just how badly they got things wrong and the wholesale change that needs to take place.

"It's already resulted in the Director General and the head of news going, but there needs to be a wholesale clear out of the bias in the BBC.

"Whether it's the bias against President Trump, whether it's the bias against the Jewish community, there's so many areas where the BBC has to do much, much better."

Questioned by host Ellie Costello on the lawsuit possibly being the "end of the BBC" due to the staggering cost of the legal action, Mr Tice stressed the BBC "consistently gets things wrong".

He explained: "Well, there's much that's great about the BBC, but in the news section they get things consistently wrong, and that's why wholesale reform is required.

"That's why we've said that we would reform the funding model for the BBC. And look, President Trump is making a serious point. He is, quite rightly, absolutely furious."

He added: "Is he negotiating from a high level will? Of course, who knows where it'll end up.

"But what is absolutely certain is that wholesale reform of the BBC is required, including its funding model, and we at Reform have made that very plain and clear."

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Asked for his thoughts on the mass shooting on Bondi Beach over the weekend, Mr Tice highlighted the party's "rock solid" support for the Jewish community in the UK.

He said: "I spoke at the vigil outside the Houses of Parliament yesterday evening, celebrating Hanukkah, which of course, is lighting the candles and sort of using light as a strength to pierce through and to break through and to overcome the darkness of antisemitism, of hatred and against violence.

"And in a sense, that's the message, that's the support. Reform UK have been rock solid with the Jewish community, and I speak up in the House of Commons frequently about this.

"And we have to reassure the Jewish community that they are safe in in London, across the whole of the UK. And at the moment, sadly, because of this weak Government, that has not become the case."

Questioned on the upcoming resident doctor strikes planned by members of the BMA (British Medical Association), Mr Tice hit out at the "selfish" and "outrageous" decision.

Mr Tice concluded: "It is selfish, it is absolutely outrageous and worse than that, I spoke to the Health Secretary in the House of Commons yesterday, cited the example of a resident doctor who's not a member of the BMA union, who said that this doctor was not going to go on strike, but was going to continue working.

"And they were pressured and bullied into going on strike and told that a locum doctor, at vast extra expense to the NHS, had already been booked to replace this resident doctor.

"This is the sort of outrageous closed shop tactics that this union is embarking upon. They should be ashamed of themselves. It's absolutely outrageous, and I think most of the country is raging furious with them alongside the Health Secretary."

In a statement, a BBC spokesman said: "As we have made clear previously, we will be defending this case. We are not going to make further comment on ongoing legal proceedings."

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