Rees- Mogg: BBC ‘ stealing Ovaltine from pensioners’
JACOB Rees- Mogg has accused BBC bosses of “stealing Ovaltine from pensioners” by stripping them of their free TV licences.
The Commons Leader lashed out at the corporation over its decision to axe the lifeline benefit for the over-75s while increasing staff salaries.
And he warned the Beeb that viewers are now voting with their feet after the number of people paying the licence fee plummeted.
Mr Rees- Mogg told the Commons: “I do think the BBC has been unfair on pensioners in requiring them to pay the licence fee.
“The hope was they would not do this and they are basically stealing the Ovaltine from pensioners’ nighttime drink by charging them for this licence fee and they are losing licence payers.
“They lost a quarter of a million licence payers in the past year as people are voting with their feet.
“And the BBC needs to pay attention... because, when charging some of the least well- off in our society and giving the money to some of the most well- off in our society, there are people who will rightly question that.”
The BBC is charging over- 75s the £ 157.50 fee for the first time in 20 years. Only those on Pension Credits remain eligible for a free licence.
Tory backbencher Sir David Amess said high pay for its stars was “outrageous and shameful” given the change. He said: “£ 1.75million, £ 1.3million, just to mention two – and for what? Yet the BBC has the audacity to charge 75- yearolds for the licence fee. These salaries are outrageous and shameful. It’s about time the Government put an end to it.” The BBC revealed this week Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker got £ 1.75million for the year to the end of March but has taken a pay cut of £ 400,000.
BBC Radio 2 DJ Zoe Ball shot up the list with £ 1.36million, making her the highest- paid woman in the top 10.
Tory MP Lee Anderson said: “There should be a debate so the people can have a choice on whether or not their hard- earned cash should be used to subsidise BBC presenters’ millionpound salaries.”
The BBC agreed to take responsibility for the free licence in its Charter renewal. A spokesman said: “It was the Government who decided to stop funding free TV licences. The BBC Board believes the fairest option is to help the poorest older pensioners.
“Around 1.5 million households could get free TV licences if someone is over 75 and receives Pension Credit.
“Critically, it is not the BBC making that judgment about poverty, it is the Government who set and control who is eligible for Pension Credit.”
Meanwhile, director- general Tim Davie conceded there were parts of the nation that “don’t necessarily feel the BBC is for them”.
The Beeb’s annual report this week revealed a slump in viewing in the North ( 12 minutes less a week per person) and the Midlands ( 13 minutes), while viewing in the South rose.
Working- class households, younger people and ethnic minority communities also use the BBC less than average – and are more likely to believe it does not represent people like them.