‘Anything they can tax, they will!’ Britons reject BBC licence fee expansion as Labour target Netflix users

According to Bloomberg, the proposal is one of many under consideration by ministers to help with funding.

But on the streets of Nottingham, the plan has seemingly not been met with a great deal of enthusiasm.

“Why can’t the BBC do adverts? My opinion is, it should be shared out amongst everybody if you’re going to pay”, one Briton said.

Another commented: “The tax pay for the BBC is getting narrower all the time, isn’t it?

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“There’s people that don’t have a licence. If you tax it more wildly, there’s less money for people to pay.”

One Nottingham local said it feels increasingly as if the BBC and the Government are always looking for new ways to “get money out of people”.

“I don’t really know where it’s going. Anything they can tax, they will tax”, he added.

One hit out at the BBC for extending the licence fee to some over-75s, who are now expected to pay it in full despite previously getting it for free.

Until 2020, the licence was free for all pensioners, but the rules were changed in 2019, making it only free for those receiving Pension Credit.

She said: “I don’t think it’s right. I still don’t think it’s right that they charge the elderly, where they have to now pay for it. No chance.”

The BBC licence fee being expanded to cover services such as Netflix and Disney+ could mean many having to pay it despite not using the broadcaster’s services.

The idea has been floated by the Prime Minister’s office, the Treasury and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

The DCMS said on Tuesday the proposal was not under “active consideration”, but did not rule it out.