Douglas Ireland

Tag: UK politics

  • Public Broadcasting, Private Burden

    I believe in public service broadcasting.

    The idea of a well-funded, independent broadcaster providing education, culture, news, and entertainment for everyone, regardless of income, is something worth protecting. That’s why I support the principle of the BBC.

    But I don’t support the TV licence as a way to fund it.

    A Flat Tax in Disguise

    Right now, the licence fee is £174.50 a year. It’s the same for everyone, whether you’re a millionaire or struggling to make ends meet. That’s not fair.

    It’s effectively a flat tax. Flat taxes always hit those with the least the hardest. In a cost-of-living crisis, expecting someone on minimum wage or Universal Credit to pay the same as someone on a six-figure salary makes no sense.

    To make things worse, failure to pay can lead to criminal prosecution. Every year, thousands of people, mostly women, end up in court over this. It’s outdated and punitive.

    There’s a Better Way

    I think the BBC should be funded through general taxation. That would mean:

    • Everyone still contributes, but those with more would pay more
    • No need for aggressive letters or enforcement officers
    • No criminal records for watching TV
    • Lower admin costs
    • A more equal and modern system

    Several countries have already moved in this direction. Norway, Finland, and Sweden all fund their public broadcasters through income tax. The BBC could do the same if the political will existed.

    It’s Not About Opting Out

    To be clear, I don’t watch live TV or BBC iPlayer, so I don’t need a licence. But I shouldn’t have to keep declaring that. I don’t have to tell Netflix I’m not a customer, or Sky, or The Times. The BBC should be publicly funded, not presume everyone owes them unless proven otherwise.

    I’ll always support public service broadcasting. Just not through a system that punishes the poor to protect the rich.

  • What’s Got You Most Hyped for a Reform UK Government?

    What are people actually looking forward to if Reform wins the next General Election and forms a government?

    Is it the generous tax cuts that will inevitably gut public services across the country, leading to the slow dismantling of everything from libraries to local councils, already held together by little more than duct tape and goodwill?

    Maybe it’s the vision of a skeleton Civil Service, hollowed out in the name of “efficiency,” where job cuts are spun as progress and oversight becomes optional.

    How about the long-rumoured privatisation of the NHS? Selling off the very institution people clap for, while quietly preparing us to pay American prices for insulin and A&E visits?

    Perhaps you’re excited for chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-laced beef, as British food standards are sacrificed for post-Brexit trade deals that no one asked for.

    There’s also the small matter of workers’ rights. What could be more liberating than losing your right to union protection, fair dismissal processes, or sick pay?

    Then there’s the slow erosion of bodily autonomy, with hard-won reproductive rights under threat, framed as a return to “traditional values.”

    And we can’t forget the overt bigotry that appears regularly in the words and tweets of many Reform candidates. This seems to be a feature, not a bug.

    So I ask again, in all seriousness, with just a touch of sarcasm:

    What is it you’re most looking forward to when Reform takes the reins?

    Because I suspect the people clapping them into power may not be ready for what happens when the applause stops and the policies begin.

    I’d love to hear your thoughts.
    Do you agree, disagree, or have your own worries about a Reform government? Drop a comment below and let’s talk about it.