Boris Johnson delights workers by hinting he’ll axe ‘outdated’ BBC licence fee – The Sun

BORIS Johnson delighted workers yesterday by revealing he will look at abolishing the TV license fee.

Attacking the force with which people are pursued for not paying it, the PM also revealed he was also looking at scrapping it as a criminal offence.

Quizzed on why the £154.50 a year annual charge was fair during a Q and A session at a transport company, the PM declared: “I am certainly looking at it.

“You have to ask yourself whether that kind of approach to funding a media organisation still makes sense in the long term, given the way other organisations manage to fund themselves.

“I think the system of funding by what is effectively a general tax bears reflection.”

He added: “How long can you justify a system whereby everybody who has a TV has to pay to fund a particular set of TV and radio channels? That is the question”.

The Tory leader also spoke out to defend the tens of thousands dragged through the courts every year for not paying the license fee, which funds the BBC’s huge budget.

'HEAVY HANDED'

Boris insisted: “There have been many cases that strike people as a bit heavy handed.

“A lot of cases for failing to pay people’s license fee are taking up a lot of the courts’ time. So it is an issue for the criminal justice system.

“We are looking at the possibility of decriminalising not paying. It is part of the options.”

The question was asked by mechanic David Henderson, 57, after the PM spoke to him and other workers at Fergusons transport, in Washington, Tyne and Wear.

Delighted David told The Sun: “From what he was hinting it, I’m pleased.

“He sounds like he is going to do it in the long run. Why should we all have to pay it if we don’t watch it?”

But the BBC hit back at PM’s plan at the PM’s suggestion last night.

A spokeman for the Beeb said: “As we’ve said before, the licence fee ensures a universal BBC which serves everyone, is the most popular funding system among the public and is agreed as the method of funding the BBC for another 8 years.”

In 2013, in England and Wales there were 178,322 prosecutions for the evasion offence and 153,369 people were convicted. Of these, 152,664 were fined.

According to figures provided by the Ministry of Justice, 70% of those prosecuted are female. The average fine is £170.

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