The opposition has reacted with outrage to plans by the British government to abolish the BBC’s subscription fees and freeze state subsidies. Culture Minister Nadine Dorries had announced that the fees would be abolished in 2027.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson only wanted to use the project to distract attention from his misconduct in the “Partygate” affair about lockdown parties at the seat of government, the Labor party criticized. Labor expert Lucy Powell accused the government of “cultural vandalism”. “This is part of a diversionary strategy to blame everyone but himself,” Powell told Talk Radio.
The British government wants to abolish the fees because streaming services like Netflix are becoming increasingly important. However, the contribution payments have long been a thorn in the side of many conservatives. Johnson had already announced in 2019 that he would revise the fee system.
Abolition would hit the BBC hard
Abolishing contributions, which currently account for the bulk of funding at £3.2bn (€3.83bn) a year, would mean a radical transformation for the BBC. Thousands of jobs would have to be cut and several programs and special interest channels shut down. Currently, each household pays £159 a year.
Prime Minister Johnson has been under enormous pressure for weeks because dozens of employees at his official residence are said to have celebrated several lockdown parties during the pandemic. The Prime Minister denies personal mistakes. The opposition and several conservative MPs are therefore demanding Johnson’s resignation. The crackdown on the BBC is seen as a pillar of his strategy to break free and reunite his party behind him.