The UK’s public broadcaster came under fire over the past week over the Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone documentary.
The BBC licence fee could be scrapped under the Conservative Party – as leader Kemi Badenoch calls for the levy to be axed after a Hamas documentary. The UK’s public broadcaster came under fire over the past week over the Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone documentary.
In a letter to the BBC ‘s director general Tim Davie, the Tory leader suggested the inclusion of the Hamas agricultural minister’s son is the reason she has opted to withdraw her support. Ms Badenoch wrote: “The BBC must recognise how serious these allegations are for its public standing.
“The BBC’s Middle East coverage is widely regarded as unreliable. The Conservative Party has supported the BBC in Government, including through the current charter, which will end in 2027. I cannot see how my party could support the continuation of the current licence fee-based system without serious action by the BBC management to prove the organisation is committed to true impartiality.”
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The Tory leader added: “The BBC also suggested that ‘usual compliance procedures’ had been followed. But does filming inside Gaza not require something far beyond usual checks? This is why I support calls for an independent inquiry into the documentary’s commissioning and production, which should be concluded and published in a timely way.”
A BBC spokesman said: “Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone features important stories we think should be told – those of the experiences of children in Gaza. There have been continuing questions raised about the programme and in the light of these, we are conducting further due diligence with the production company.
“The programme will not be available on iPlayer while this is taking place.” The TV license fee in the UK is set to increase from £169.50 to £174.50 in April 2025. This is a £5 increase and is due to inflation. The fee is payable to watch live TV on any channel or streaming service.