EXCLUSIVE: Jeremy Hunt Wanted BBC To Cover Cost Of TV Licence For Over-75s

12 June 2019, 08:28 | Updated: 12 June 2019, 09:44

Jeremy Hunt came up with the idea of making over-75s pay for the TV Licence
Jeremy Hunt came up with the idea of making over-75s pay for the TV Licence. Picture: PA

Jeremy Hunt wanted the BBC to cover the cost of TV licences for over-75s, LBC can reveal.

The BBC took the heavily-criticised decision this week to scrap free TV licences for pensioners, affecting 3.7million people.

More than 250,000 people have now signed a petition demanding the elderly do not have to pay the £154.50 annual fee to watch television.

The BBC says that if it had to find the £750million shortfall elsewhere, it would have to cut four television channels and numerous local radio stations.

Now LBC can reveal the man who first came up with the idea to make the BBC cover the cost of the free TV licences is one of the frontrunners in the race to be the next Prime Minister.

Back in 2010, Mr Hunt was the Culture Secretary and in charge of negotiating the BBC’s new funding settlement. 

LBC's Political Editor Theo Usherwood has unearthed a report from the time by MPs, which revealed that at the start of the negotiations, Mr Hunt wanted to force the BBC to cover the cost of free TV licences for those aged 75 and over.

In a letter to the Culture, Media and Sport select committee, Mr Hunt wrote: "Transferring the funding of TV licences for those aged 75 and over and the World Service from the Government to the BBC were two of the options under consideration.” 

Mr Hunt was told by BBC bosses that it would be unable to absorb the cost but nevertheless pressed ahead with the idea. The problem for the Conservatives is that it is a manifesto pledge from 2017 to maintain free TV licences for the elderly.

BBC Director General Tony Hall
BBC Director General Tony Hall. Picture: PA

Jeremy Hunt has based his campaign on being a ruthless negotiator in this leadership campaign. He has pitched himself as the man who can secure concessions from the European Union: a challenge Theresa May dismally failed.

But in this instance, he was so ruthless, he was willing to take a decision that would inevitably, as Martin Vickers MP put it, force the BBC to make the elderly pay to watch television.

In fact, Mr Hunt was only stopped in 2010 by the Liberal Democrats media spokesman Don Foster during the coalition and he agreed with then Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg to block the move.

Lord Foster told LBC: "I discovered that George Osborne and Jeremy Hunt were planning this move to make the BBC responsible for what is a welfare policy.

"I thought it was totally wrong to put that responsibility on the BBC. We don't ask pharmacists to choose who gets free prescriptions or opticians who gets free eye tests. Why should the BBC choose who gets free TV licences?"

When the Conservatives won a Commons majority in 2015, David Cameron and George Osborne got their way as BBC bosses agreed they would be responsible for the cost of free television licences for the elderly.

Despite that, yesterday the current Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright attempted to blame the BBC for the decision. 

He said: "The BBC is operationally independent, so the announcement yesterday is very much their decision.

"But taxpayers want to see the BBC using its substantial licence fee income in an appropriate way to ensure it delivers for UK audiences."

A statement from Jeremy Hunt's campaign said: "It's really disappointing the BBC have taken this decision which is a blow to millions of deserving pensioners.

"We would sit down with the BBC to find out how we can ensure we deliver on the Conservative manifesto promise to protect the license fee support for older people."

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

MPs have been urged to support moves to ban smacking and other forms of physical punishment against children in England.

Ministers urged to back law change which will see smacking children to punish them banned

Polling station at Deptford Park School.

Russian networks tried to disrupt UK election but did not cause ‘notable’ impact, security minister says

IKEA store in Vilnius, Lithuania

Russian spies accused of firebombing Ikea store ‘because colours are the same as the Ukraine flag’

Facial recognition will be used to help passengers skip passport queues at ports.

British travellers arriving back in UK could 'avoid passport queues' with new facial recognition technology

The White House said Trump is ‘determined’ to get a peace deal in Ukraine over the line, as the US president gears up for talks for Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.

‘We’ve never been closer to a peace deal’ in Ukraine, says White House ahead of Trump-Putin talks

A prison officer walks down the C wing at Wandsworth prison.

Number of prisoners reaches six-month high, despite thousands being released early to ease overcrowding

Richard Burrows, 80, was found guilty of 54 offences at Chester Crown Court on Monday, including indecent assault of boys, buggery, attempted buggery and indecency with a child.

Paedophile scout leader who spent 27 years on the run found guilty of dozens child sex abuse crimes

‘Iran will suffer the consequences’ - Trump raises prospect of war with Iran as Us attacks on Houthis continue

‘Iran will suffer the consequences’ - Trump raises prospect of war with Iran as US attacks on Houthis continue

Owen Cooper (l) and Stephen Graham (r) star in Adolescence

Revealed: Secret behind incredible camera shot in Netflix's new 'masterpiece' Adolescence

Drag star The Vivienne died after taking ketamine, their family said today

Drag star The Vivienne died from cardiac arrest caused by taking ketamine, family say

Irish professional mixed martial artist and businessman Conor McGregor visited the White House on Monday.

‘He doesn’t reflect the spirit of St Patrick’s Day’: Row erupts after Conor McGregor appears in The White House

`

Man who shouted 'Die, die, die' while stabbing man in quiet street in broad daylight sentenced to life

Harry Purcell, 17, Matilda 'Tilly' Seccombe, 16, and Frank Wormald, 16 died in the crash

Teen driver who killed three friends, aged 16 and 17, in crash on way home from school faces years in prison

Princess Kate enjoyed a Guinness as she joined soldiers in the cookhouse

Princess of Ales! Kate buys a round for the Irish Guards at St Patrick’s Day parade

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer holds a press conference in the Downing Street Briefing Room after hosting virtual meeting with international leaders to discuss support for Ukraine.

Trump to speak with Putin tomorrow as Starmer says 30 countries will sign up to peacekeeping plan

Yvette Cooper argued against the decision but it was upheld

Albanian criminal 'avoids deportation because video calls would be ‘harsh’ on stepson'