Keir Starmer urged to defend BBC after Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit – latest

The BBC is right to “stand firm” in the face of Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit, a minister has said.

Stephen Kinnock also said the public broadcaster had been “very clear that there is no case to answer” when it came to accusations of libel.

He told Sky News: “I think they have apologised for one or two of the mistakes that were made in that Panorama programme, but they’ve also been very clear that there is no case to answer in terms of Mr Trump’s accusations on the broader point about libel or defamation.

“So, you know, I think it’s right that the BBC stands firm on that point.

“Yes, there were some mistakes made in that particular piece of film, but I think the broader argument that they were making; they’re right to stick by their guns on that and I hope that they will continue to do so.”

Sir Keir Starmer is under growing pressure to intervene after President Donald Trump filed a defamation lawsuit against the BBC over its Panorama edit.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has urged the prime minister to “stand up for the BBC against Trump’s outrageous legal threat”.

Sir Ed said: “Keir Starmer needs to stand up for the BBC against Trump’s outrageous legal threat and protect licence fee payers from being hit in the pocket.

“The Trump administration has clearly set out they want to interfere in our democracy, which includes undermining our national broadcaster. The prime minister needs to make clear this is unacceptable.”

Minister Stephen Kinnock said the Labour Party will “always stand up for the BBC as a vitally important institution” but insisted that it is an “independent organisation”.

Asked whether Sir Keir Starmer should defend the broadcaster against Mr Trump’s threats, Mr Kinnock told Sky News: “It’s absolutely right that the BBC is an independent organisation.

“I think they have apologised for one or two of the mistakes that were made in that Panorama programme, but they’ve also been very clear that there is no case to answer in terms of Mr Trump’s accusations on the broader point about libel or defamation.

“I think it’s right that the BBC stands firm on that point. They’re right to stick by their guns on that.”

He added: “The government is a massive supporter of the BBC. The Labour Party will always stand up for the BBC as a vitally important institution in both our political life and, of course, in terms of entertaining and informing the British public.”

Today’s news comes amid a bleak economic backdrop for chancellor Rachel Reeves.

The UK economy shrank by 0.1 per cent in October – meaning it has not grown since June.

Jane Gratton, Deputy Director of Public Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce said the latest data paints a “gloomy picture” that reflects the uncertainty businesses have around hiring.

“The latest data paints a gloomy picture for jobs, opportunities and growth,” she said.

“It reflects what businesses tell us – they are less confident about hiring staff due to sky-high employment costs and a tidal wave of new employment legislation coming down the track.

“While there has been some easing of cost pressures – with average earnings including bonuses slowing to 4.7 per cent in the three months to October – labour costs remain a challenge. Nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of businesses in our latest survey said labour costs are the biggest cost pressure they are facing.

“There is a limit to how much additional cost firms can absorb without an impact on investment and growth. The further increase in unemployment, hitting 5.1 per cent in October, is also a clear sign of the sluggish economy.

“We need a laser like focus on stimulating growth and boosting investment, trade, innovation and skills. The government must work in partnership with business to make 2026 a year of delivery.”

We’re getting more reaction in to today’s fresh unemployment figures.

TUC (Trades Union Congress) general secretary Paul Nowak said the government must now prioritise helping those who are not in work.

“When the economy starts to recover, the jobs market will follow – and it is welcome that vacancies now look to have stabilised. But with unemployment rising and real wage growth slowing, the priority must be boosting demand,” he said.

“This week, the Bank of England needs to support the economy with a further interest rate cut – making it easier for firms to invest and households to spend.

“And with the effects of the recent economic slowdown continuing to feed into the labour market, it is vital that those who are out of work get the help they need.

“Experience of real work is best way to help young people who are starting out, and the new youth guarantee can be a major step forward for improving young people’s prospects.

“Let’s be clear – good quality jobs are the foundation of a strong economy, and go hand in hand with high productivity growth. That’s why the Employment Rights Bill is so important.”

The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

The government is “absolutely focused on getting more jobs, getting better paid jobs” into the UK economy, a minister has insisted after new figures showed that the rate of UK unemployment has risen to 5.1 per cent in the three months to October.

Asked whether he accepts that unemployment has risen under Labour, Stephen Kinnock told Sky News: “We’ve also created hundreds of thousands of new jobs in our country. We’ve had the highest growth rate.”

But pressed again on whether he accepts that unemployment has risen, he said: “Well, the way to create more jobs is to create growth, and that is what this government is completely focused on, with billions of pounds of additional investment.”

He added: “We’re absolutely focused on getting more jobs, getting better paid jobs. We’ve also seen the minimum wage increasing substantially, so we’re dealing with that cost of living side. We, of course, want more jobs in our economy, but we want them to be well paid job where people are really able to move on in life and get up that ladder. That is what this Labour government is about.”

Young people are particularly badly impacted by the faltering labour market, new figures from the ONS show.

Unemployment jumped by 47,000 for those aged between 25 and 34, while it was 28,000 higher for those aged 16 and 17.

Across the market, vacancies fell slightly, down 2,000 to 729,000 between September and November.

Ben Harrison, director of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University, a leading think tank for improving working lives in the UK, said there are now 546,000 young people aged 18-24 who are unemployed – the highest since 2015 and up by 85,000 on quarter.

“Most worryingly it appears it is getting harder for these workers to access work,” he said. “Long-term unemployment has risen by 93,000 on the year, with the challenge of finding work exacerbated by an increasingly competitive jobs market as vacancies are down on the year by 78,000.

“On the day that the government has announced the Milburn Review into youth unemployment, these figures also lay bare the tough jobs market facing young people, and indicate policymakers must pick up the pace on boosting the number of secure, well-paid jobs through its Industrial Strategy and in rolling out additional tailored employment support to help people back into work quickly.”

The UK’s attractiveness as a destination for entrepreneurs and investment has been badly hit by Rachel Reeves’ Budget, according to a respected international index.

The latest annual Nomad Capitalist Passport Index has suggested that tax hikes have added obstacles to employ people and the abolition of non-dom status in the UK has harmed the country’s reputation abroad.

The index has revealed that the UK dropped 14 places from its position in 2024 of 21st to 35th.

The Independent’s political editor David Maddox has more below:

Analysis from The Independent’s business and money editor Karl Matchett:

UK unemployment has been steadily climbing since the middle of last year – it was just 4.1 per cent in summer 2024 – but the growth rate of unemployment has also been rising faster of late.

Outside of Covid, where unemployment briefly hit 5.3 per cent, the last time it was at this level was back in the first three months of 2016, very nearly a decade ago.

As well as rising unemployment, today’s data shows wage growth continuing to slow – though at 4.6 per cent it’s still above the rate of inflation.

Beyond the obvious concern of fewer people working, the immediate knock-on effect of this data is likely to be another firm check in the box for an interest rates cut on Thursday.