Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has defended the BBC and warned MPs attacking the broadcaster to “consider just what is at stake," following the crisis which led to boss Tim Davie’s resignation.
Director-general Mr Davie quit on Sunday amid a scandal over the editing of a speech by Donald Trump, which has prompted the US president to threaten a billion-dollar legal action.
At the House of Commons on Tuesday, Nandy sought to dwindle the sustained attacks on the BBC following the resignations of Davie and BBC News chief executive Deborah Turness on Sunday.
“There is a fundamental difference between raising serious concerns over editorial failings and members of this House launching a sustained attack on the institution itself, because the BBC is not just a broadcaster, it is a national institution that belongs to us all," she said.
Nandy called on the BBC to “renew its mission for the modern age” as the once-a-decade review of its Royal Charter, which sets out how it is governed and funded, is due to begin.
She said the review would ensure a BBC that is “fiercely independent” and “genuinely accountable” to the public.
The broadcaster’s charter expires at the end of 2027, with the review starting as the ongoing storm surrounding the organisation continues.
"Together, we will ensure the BBC is sustainably funded, commands the public’s trust and continues to drive growth, good jobs, skills and creativity across every region and nation of the UK," she said.
“In an era in which trust is fraying and truth is contested across our nation, it will ensure the BBC remains fiercely independent and is genuinely accountable to the public it serves.”
Amid debate over the BBC’s impartiality, several Labour backbenchers urged Nandy to remove Sir Robbie Gibb, a former political adviser to Theresa May when she was prime minister, from the broadcaster’s board.
Answering a question from Labour MP Sarah Owen (Luton North), Nandy said: “The charter sets a strict legal threshold that must be met before dismissal of a board member, and so I am unable to pursue the course of action that she suggests.”
This comes after Davie told BBC staff that "mistakes have cost us" but "we must fight for our journalism".
In a 40-minute address to staff at their London HQ on Tuesday, Davie said, "I see the free press under pressure, I see the weaponisation.
"We will thrive. And this narrative will not just be given by our enemies. It’s our narrative. We own things."
Earlier, Davie told reporters outside Broadcasting House he was “proud” of the organisation’s journalists amid criticism of a Panorama edit of a US president’s speech on the day rioters stormed the Capitol.
A legal letter from Trump lawyer Alejandro Brito demanded the BBC immediately retract what it described as “false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements” about Trump.
