Indeed, until they sort out the legal basis....and indeed the legal profession it's like using an axe against a mountain.

Something they are well aware of.

Edited by Stirlingsays (17 Jan 2022 10.52am)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

Personally, I suspect it will be the culture war divide at the next election.

The 'chattering classes' vote Labour no matter what, and tend to do so in seats where Labour piles up huge majorities. But those are not the battleground that Labour needs to win if it stands a chance.

The lower the socio-economic status of a person, the more they object to paying the BBC licence fee. It is an issue that will matter in the very seats Labour needs to win back if it is to stand a chance. Which is the point of the policy.

If Labour have any real intention of forming the next Government then they have to mirror the Tories pledge on the BBC. Question is will their membership allow them to do so?

If Labour continues to support the licence fee model, then they are creating a genuine own-goal for the Tories to hammer home, time and time again. Along with offering the Tories the chance to proclaim the BBC are biased against them based on this policy.

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." - 1984 - George Orwell.

"The lower the socio-economic status of a person, the more they object to paying the BBC licence fee." Where does this come from?

Quite an extraordinary statement

Responsibility Deficit Disorder is a medical condition. Symptoms include inability to be corrected when wrong, false sense of superiority, desire to share personal info no else cares about, general hubris. It's a medical issue rather than pure arrogance.

Probably those that currently like it.

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

This viewpoint, which I understand is not unusual and widespread here, completely misses the point of the BBC. It's not just another broadcaster competing in a crowded market for ever more difficult to sustain viewing figures, or ratings. Such broadcasters need to find their niche, and they need to chase popularity to sustain their commercial viability.

The BBC is our public service broadcaster, free of government and commercial influences and free to tell us the truth. It's not there to just amuse us. It's there to give us what they believe we need. Now criticism of what they believe that to be is fair enough, and finding ways to ensure all voices are heard in the debate which determines how they reach their conclusions and ensure all viewpoints are fairly represented on air, is important. It doesn't though mean we ought to dumb down the BBC by reducing it to being just another broadcaster.

The BBC is very much more though than simply being our public service broadcaster. Remember its motto, "Nation Shall Speak Peace Unto Nation". It's the window the rest of the world has into the UK. It's also the most trusted broadcaster in the world. It's probably our greatest asset, which with the post-Brexit era about to become a harsh reality ought not be lightly abandoned. We need the BBC more today than ever.

It's hardly surprising that it's unpopular amongst some at home. The uneducated who just want to be entertained, the young, who don't watch TV and the elderly who now must pay a licence fee, all have their reasons. Just as turkeys don't vote for Christmas and most of us don't want higher taxation, it's easy to see why.

Our MPs though must do their duty. They must avoid the temptation to go "populist" again and do what the people want, just so they stand a better chance of being re-elected. They need to deliver what the country needs. Which is a BBC not chasing ratings but maintaining its proud and hard won status around at home, and even more importantly, the world.

Getting rid of Johnson and his cabal would be a good start to achieving that.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

Wouldn’t getting rid of Johnson be classed as populist? (I don’t disagree that the blokes an utter, utter t***, however).

If I could watch cricket, F1 etc on BBC - as I used to be able to I’d agree. But I can’t as it can’t compete so what’s left, as I consider them bias and won’t watch the news it delivers. The trouble is the world has moved on and successive Govts feel remiss to me for not allowing the BBC to move with it.

Edited by Helmet46 (18 Jan 2022 10.56am)