The new culture secretary believes the BBC licence fee is an "unfair tax" and should be scrapped altogether. Michelle Donelan previously spoke of her outrage when the broadcaster announced it was axing free licence fees for all those over the age of 75.
As reported by the Express, the Chippenham MP, who took over from Nadine Dorries on Tuesday, said the broadcaster had acted "appallingly". And she added: "I am determined to do everything in my power to change their mind."
A free licence was only made available to people in receipt of Pension Credit. The change broke a commitment made by the broadcaster to the Government in 2016.
Writing for her local paper in 2019, Ms Donelan said: "I was outraged by the BBC’s decision to revoke free TV licences for the over-75s. Personally, I think the licence fee is an unfair tax and should be scrapped altogether – but that is a different debate.
"The BBC are shirking their obligation to its older viewers, many of whom have been their most loyal viewers and have paid the full price for TV licences for years."
The Government reviewed decriminalisation of the licence fee under Boris Johnson in January last year but decided against going ahead with proposals. Campaigners welcomed Ms Donelan's appointment last night, hoping it would lead to change.
Rebecca Ryan, campaign director of pressure group Defund the BBC, said: "It’s great to hear the new culture secretary has called for the licence fee to be scrapped altogether. Let’s put an end to hard-working Britons being bullied on their doorsteps into funding a service that paints them as out-of-touch bigots by this wasteful, metropolitan elitist corporation."
Meanwhile the new Prime Minister Liz Truss vowed to look at BBC reform while on the Tory leadership campaign trail. She said she wanted to look at decriminalising non-payment of the licence fee.
At present, failure to pay the £159 a year fee can lead to a £1,000 fine, or even a prison sentence if the fine is not paid. "What I’m very concerned about on the TV licence fee is how many women have ended up in prison for non-payment, a disproportionate number," Ms Truss told the Daily Mail in August.
"I want to look at how we can make sure that we reform the TV licence fee, so we don’t end up with those punitive results. I’ll look at all the options. I do want to reform the way it works."
