The TV licence fee is the “least worst” way of funding the BBC, a leading peer has insisted during a debate in the House of Lords. Lord McNally, the Liberal Democrat leader in the House of Lords, said the fee is essential as the BBC is “the source that everybody turns to”.
Boris Johnson’s government has ramped up its assault on the BBC since the general election, including the launch of a consultation on whether to decriminalise non-payment of the £154.50 licence fee.
In a debate about the role of the BBC on Thursday, Lord McNally launched a broadside at the government, accusing it of “intimidatory” tactics against the corporation.
“There’s always been a kind of problem of a new government that comes in with a sense of triumphalism and score settling,” he said.
“The way this government has launched itself onto the BBC is very worrying indeed. It’s worth remembering the BBC is protected by Royal Charter just so to protect it from the day-to-day vindictiveness and intimidation of a government.”
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