LABOUR have broken their silence over calls to scrap the TV licence fee for UK households.
The BBC TV Licence fee will rise next year in line with inflation. The cost of an annual colour TV licence from April 2025 would be £174.50, an increase of £5.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said there would be "an honest national conversation about the broadcaster’s long-term future".
The £5 increase will come into force in April and is significantly less than the £10.50 rise that was applied earlier this year.
Repost and Raise your hand 🙋♂️ if you Agree the BBC licence fee should end! pic.twitter.com/YJ1tw6slVJ
— Benonwine (@benonwine) December 4, 2024
Now, the UK Government has responded to a petition calling for the licence fee to be scrapped after 24,000 people signed it.
It said: "The Government has committed to the licence fee for the current BBC Charter Period, up to the end of 2027. Charter Review will consider how we ensure future funding of the BBC is fair and sustainable."
"The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and the Prime Minister have committed to the licence fee for the remainder of the current Charter Period.
"The BBC is a vital British asset and makes a huge contribution to lives up and down the country. It supports our democracy, brings our communities together, and helps to shape and define our nation through telling stories about the lives of people in all parts of the UK.
"Continuing to make that contribution, and deliver the obligations placed upon it, requires that the BBC receives ongoing and sustainable public funding.
"As the media landscape undergoes the next generational shift, the BBC too must adapt and be supported to do so. The forthcoming Charter Review is a key opportunity to set the BBC up for success long into the future.
"It will look at a range of issues and, as a priority for this Government, will start a national conversation to make sure the BBC truly represents and delivers for every person in this country. Charter Review will also look to uphold the BBC’s independence and ensure that it maintains the trust of the public.
"As we address these vital issues about the future form of the BBC, we must also ensure that there is a sustainable funding model that is fair for those who pay for it.
Recommended reading:
BBC licence fee to rise to £174.50 from April in line with inflation
BBC TV Licence: £170 TV Licence Fee could be 'replaced'
BBC TV Licence fee refunds as UK households can claim £170
"The Government is keeping an open mind about the future of the licence fee, but we are clear that the BBC's funding and its operation are inseparable.
"The Government will be taking forward this issue as part of the Charter Review process. We will work closely with the BBC, and engage with other broadcasters, stakeholders across the creative industries as well as the British public to inform our thinking.
"This will include the opportunity for stakeholders and audiences across the country to respond to the Charter Review public consultation before the new Charter comes into effect in 2028."
