I don't know why we make such a big fuss over voting for policies. It's the things that aren't in the manifesto that you need to watch out for
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... -live.htmlQuote:
10.44 Nervous times for the BBC
Christopher Hope reports on the new Culture Secretary:
One of the BBC’s biggest critics has been made Culture secretary in a move which will be seen as an effective declaration of war on the Corporation.
John Whittingdale, who was the chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport, has been made Culture secretary in David Cameron’s Cabinet reshuffle.
Mr Whittingdale has been a notable critic of the BBC, and particularly its licence fee.
Just last October Mr Whittingdale he said the licence fee was “worse than the poll tax” and is “unsustainable” in the long term.
The appointment comes at a key time for the BBC as the Corporation’s royal charter which sets out its terms of business is set to be renewed next year.
Senior Downing Street sources said they were “furious at the BBC’s coverage” of the campaign and accused the BBC of an “unforgiveable pro-Labour bias”.
Mr Whittingdale made clear his support for fundamental change to the way the corporation is funded last October
Saying he did not believe the £145.50 a year licence fee would survive in its current form in the next few decades, he said: “I think in the long term it's unsustainable.
"I think most people, almost everybody, accepts that the licence fee as it currently stands need some tweaking to sort out anomalies.
“People’s viewing habits have changed and it needs to reflect that. That’s a very simple change and I think people see that.
“You then have the question of whether or not it should remain a flat poll tax, collected through some fairly draconian measures, and whether it should still be criminally enforceable.
“Government has already announced consultation on decriminalisation. I’ve been looking at other countries and I think there's quite an attractive option of linking it to a specific household tax - maybe council tax.
“I think in the longer term we are potentially looking at reducing at least a proportion of the licence fee that is compulsory and offering choice.”
(Well, the 2015 manifesto says they will "Freeze the BBC licence fee, to save you money" then later add "pending Charter renewal". Not the same thing, is it?)