Nadine Dorries casts doubt on BBC licence fee future following freeze announcement

The culture secretary Nadine Dorries has cast doubt on the future of the BBC licence fee funding model, after announcing the £159 fee would be frozen until 2024.

In a ministerial statement, Dorries told the House of Commons: “I simply do not believe that those responsible for setting household bills should instinctively reach into the pockets of families across the country… to cover those costs”.

Shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell blasted the move, describing the government’s actions as “cultural vandalism.”