Cuts to BBC World Service funding would ‘make us less safe’, MPs tell ministers

Reducing budget would involve closing parts of institution promoting UK soft power abroad, leaving gap for Russia to push propaganda

Hours before Rachel Reeves stood up to deliver her budget last year, government officials were still in tense negotiations with bosses at the BBC over how much the World Service would be given.

The amount they were haggling over was relatively small - just 5.5m out of a total budget of 400m. But BBC chiefs warned the government that if the cuts were imposed on them, they would have to close several language stations in parts of the world where the Russians already hold influence. Doing so would be a gift to Moscow, they added.