PM accused of attacking BBC to save his own skin

Boris Johnson has been accused of targeting the BBC in a desperate attempt to save his own premiership, as the Labour leader accused him of breaking the law by attending lockdown parties and then lying about it.

- Andrew Sparrow Josh Halliday Heather Stewart

A number of Tory MPs were said to be poised to demand his resignation amid anger from constituents over allegations of a party culture in Westminster while coronavirus restrictions were in place.

There have been reports that up to 35 of the 54 letters needed to trigger a vote of no confidence are already in, although the actual number is a closely-guarded secret.

As Downing Street looked to find ways to contain the crisis, the culture secretary, Nadine Dorries, one of Johnson’s most loyal allies, confirmed yesterday that the BBC licence fee would be abolished in 2027 – and the broadcaster’s funding frozen for the next two years.

Although the move will force the corporation to close services and potentially make thousands of redundancies, it is likely to prove popular with Conservative party members and supporters, as well as the rightwing media who have yet to call for Johnson to quit.

“The prime minister thinks those reporting on his rule-breaking should pay consequences, while he gets off free ,” said Lucy Powell, Labour’s shadow culture secretary.

Ian Murray, the shadow Scottish secretary, described the announcement as “a last-ditch attempt [by Johnson] to save his failing premiership”. The BBC funding cut, which could fundamentally change the corporation as it enters its centenary year, appears to be a central theme of Johnson’s fightback strategy, which is reportedly called Operation Red Meat.