Tory MPs today called for the licence fee to be scrapped after the BBC reinstated defiant Gary Lineker. The Match of the Day host sparked controversy after he took to Twitter to brand the Government’s plans to tackle migrant Channel crossings as “immeasurably cruel” and compared the language used with Nazi Germany.
BBC Director-General Tim Davie this morning confirmed the football pundit will be returning to screens after he was stood down over the weekend.
But furious Conservative MPs have made fresh demands for the licence fee to be scrapped following the saga.
Former minister Andrea Jenkyns called on the Culture Secretary to carry out a review on BBC bias and for the £159-a-year fee to ultimately be ditched.
Ms Jenkyns told the Express: “I’d like to see the Secretary of State step in and do a full review of the BBC.
“It’d be great to see the stats of is it really value for money when your seeing presenters get that kind of salary, and what what does it look like the bottom line, the profit and loss, what does it look like financially and on how biased it is or isn’t.
“And then I think it should go to subscription only. Why should people pay to be fed left wing views when let’s face it, it should be unbiased.
She added: “I know when I’ve been on the media on the BBC, and lots of times when they said it would be fair and it be impartial. During Brexit it was a free for all. it’s like five against one. I really do think we need a review of the BBC.
“And I don’t think it’s with the times. Not everybody watches the BBC yet everyone’s got to have a TV licence. I think it’s got to get with the times, with Netflix and and the likes of Prime. I think it’s an outdated system, it’s a way of taxing people and I think we’ve got to get with the times.”
On Mr Lineker’s criticism of the Government’s Illegal Migration Bill, Ms Jenkyns added: “I really firmly believe that if you work for a taxpayer licence funded TV broadcaster you should be impartial. And if you can’t be impartial go and work for some other broadcaster where you can be as free as you want.”
Ex-Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg echoed calls for the licence fee to be scrapped.
He told GB News: “I have long thought that the licence fee is a constraint on the BBC as it stops it earning revenues by subscriptions on the iPlayer, or by taking advertising.
“It leads to a heavily regulated media based around what the BBC needs nd what is needed for a State-funded channel.
“And so, yes, I’m saying the licence fee has passed its sell-by date and it needs to go.”
He added: “There are so many different ways of watching recorded programmes now that you don’t invariably need a licence fee.
“I certainly wouldn’t pay a licence fee if you don’t need it.”
Blackpool South MP Scott Benton added: “The licence fee is a decades out of date, regressive tax which people shouldn’t have to pay simply to watch TV.
“I’ve long called for it to be scrapped. This self inflicted chaos and their obvious unwillingness to enforce impartiality will only strengthen calls for the fee to go.”
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