A Conservative councillor has blasted the Government after it revealed plans to freeze the TV licence fee in a bid to support families facing a cost of living crisis
Coun Wayne Daley, who represents Cramlington North on Northumberland County Council, branded the reasoning "insulting" after it was confirmed the fee would remain at £159 until 2024.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries took to Twitter to say the licence fee announcement would be "the last" - but Coun Daley accused the Government of attempting to use the issue to distract the public from the 'partygate' scandal.
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He said: "I'm not happy at all. The word I would use is insulting. The narrative of freezing the licence fee is actually insulting - it is 4p a day per household that we're talking about.
"One of the real concerns I have is the North East particularly, we have been largely disenfranchised from the south, but we do have our local BBC and radio station.
"The obvious thing for the BBC to do to save money is lose the regions, and you can bet your bottom dollar that the North East will be up there.
"I have no problem with having a review, but not using this as a distraction from the real issues - lets have a proper discussion.
"There are real issues with the behaviour of Downing Street - that's got to be dealt with and people will have more respect.
"Lets protect our local media - we need it and we need or voice."
Mr Daley, who was the former deputy leader of Northumberland County Council, defended the BBC in the face of criticism levelled at the organisation by some parts of the Government.
He continued: "The BBC is one of the cornerstones of our country and our democracy and is widely recognised all around the world. It is respected round the world.
"I get a lot of my media from locally sourced BBC news. The BBC by all measures is seen as fair and largely balanced. I watch the TV and sometimes think that's from the left, and other times that's very positive - and that's fine.
"No channel is going to keep you entirely happy, and if you want that go and watch GB News or Fox News.
"The BBC is soft power and I'm happy to pay my licence fee for that."
On Twitter Nadine Dorries said: "The days of the elderly being threatened with prison sentences and bailiffs knocking on doors, are over."
This licence fee announcement will be the last. The days of the elderly being threatened with prison sentences and bailiffs knocking on doors, are over.
Time now to discuss and debate new ways of funding, supporting and selling great British content. https://t.co/sXtK25q27H— Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries)
But Mr Daley said the Government has the power to change that already.
He added: "It's within the power of the Government to remove the decriminalisation of people who don't pay the licence fee."
Announcing the freeze, the Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: "The BBC is a great national institution with a unique place in our cultural heritage. It broadcasts British values and identities all over the world and reaches hundreds of millions of people every day.
"But at a time when families are facing a sharp increase in their living costs we simply could not justify asking hard-working households to pay even more for their TV licence.
"This is a fair settlement for the BBC and for licence fee payers. The BBC must support people at a time when their finances are strained, make savings and efficiencies, and use the billions in public funding it receives to deliver for viewers, listeners and users."
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