Boris Johnson suggests he could SCRAP TV licence fees on the general election 2019 campaign trail

The PM was asked by a worker in a factory whether a Tory government would abolish TV licence fees for everybody, Boris Johnson said: "Well, I don't think at this late stage in the campaign I'm going to make an unfunded spending commitment like that, but what I certainly think is that the BBC should cough up and pay for the licences for the over-75s as they promised to do.

"But at this stage we are not planning to get rid of all TV licence fees, though I am certainly looking at it."

He added: "But you have to ask yourself whether that kind of approach to funding a TV, a media organisation still makes sense in the long-term given the way other organisations manage to fund themselves - that's all I will say.

"I think that the system of funding by what is effectively a general tax, isn't it, everybody has a TV, it bears reflection - let me put it that way.

"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 BBC has already announced that all over 75s (3.7million pensioners) will have to pay for their licences from 2020 onwards - when they currently get it for free.

Experts also fear the move will penalise those with small savings pots.

Boris has said the Beeb should cough up the cash to pay for it, and Labour has also promised to save it.

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Boris Johnson suggests he could SCRAP TV licence fee


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