London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 09, 2026

‘Defund the BBC’ campaign SAVAGES Gary Lineker in anti-licence fee billboard campaign

‘Defund the BBC’ campaign SAVAGES Gary Lineker in anti-licence fee billboard campaign

A new campaign calling for the BBC licence fee to be scrapped is hoping to put billboards up across Britain to spread its message.

The group, Defund the BBC, argues the corporation is intrinsically politically biased and the public should only have to pay for its content if they want to. The first billboard, situated in south-east London, has already been erected.

It depicts BBC presenters Gary Lineker and Emily Maitlis along with what the group claims is their salaries and the question “Are You Still Paying?”

Defund the BBC is financing the campaign via a Go Fund Me page which has already raised more than £35,000.

It hopes to use this money to finance more billboards across other parts of the UK.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, a spokesman for Defund the BBC said: “The billboard is just the first in a series, we hope, as we appeal for funds via a Go Fund Me page.

“It is pokes fun at the presenters, but also delivers a serious message, that some BBC staff are paid vast sums of cash taken from hard working Brits against their will.

"Anyone who believes the BBC is wrong to effectively impose a tax on the elderly, as they have done recently, or thinks the BBC is not representative of them or the nation should give to our campaign.”

Currently, in order to watch or record live television in the UK, you must pay for a licence which costs £157.50 per household if you have a colour TV.

This money is used to fund the BBC, the world’s oldest national broadcaster, which in return is supposed to provide informative and politically neutral content.

People caught watching TV without a licence can be fined up to £1,000 as well as court costs, and can face prison if they fail to pay.

However Defund the BBC argues the corporation has failed to be consistently politically neutral.

Its spokesman said: “As many Express readers will know, the BBC has long been perceived as biased and anti-Brexit and it is wrong that they threaten Brits with jail for not funding them.

“The BBC should support itself, fairly, through ads or a subscription like other media organisations.

"Disapproval of the BBC is growing and we aim to seize the moment and push for the government to decriminalise non-payment of the licence fee by the end of the year.

"We are also developing informative material so people can legally avoid paying the licence fee.

“Currently, BBC guidelines are deliberately confusing, tricking some people into giving them cash."

On the Defund the BBC Go Fund Me page supporters of the corporation explained why they had donated money.

One commented: “The BBC is for the few and I’m not included.”

Another added: “The BBC has become an organisation run by a minority who hold in absolute contempt the majority who are forced by law to fund it.”

The BBC argues it continues to provide politically neutral and un-bias coverage.

Shortly after the 2019 General Election Lord Hall, the BBC’s Director General, defended the corporation in an article for the Daily Telegraph.

He wrote: “Around 27 million people in the UK came to the BBC website to find out about the election results.

“It was a reminder of the trust people place in the BBC.

“But the fact criticism came from all sides of the political divide shows to me that we were doing our job without fear or favour.”

Comments

ste 97 days ago
this should of been defended decades ago! it has been the mouth peace for the Nazi.. sorry I mean EU project since heaths time and constantly give false and inaccurate information to push the governments rhetoric. I have not paid for 14 years and will never pay! I do not listen to their programing watch any live TV. Unfortunately its allowed to carry on by those who are caught up in its insidious lies.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Barclays and PwC Report Examines Economic Opportunities from Financial Asset Tokenisation
Pound Sterling Strengthens as Investors Anticipate Further Bank of England Rate Increases
British Business Bank Invests Twenty-Seven Million Pounds in Kraken Technology Defence Expansion
UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle Backs State Investment Strategy Inspired by US Approach
UK Electricity System Issues Margin Notice as Heatwave Tightens Evening Supply Outlook
Labour Leadership Contest Opens as Andy Burnham Emerges as Expected Sole Candidate
Tech Pulse: The Future of AI and Screen Culture
Global News Briefing: Escalating Geopolitical Tensions and Corporate Shakeups
Global News Brief: Escalating Conflicts, Public Health Crises, and World Cup Drama
Rare Early Copy of US Declaration of Independence Found in British Archive
Cornish Language Revival Gains Momentum Through Schools and Community Programs
UK Authorities Face Criticism Over Prisoner Early Release Safeguards
Clacton By-Election Set After Nigel Farage Resigns Seat to Trigger Contest
Government Agencies Review Long-Term Fiscal Risks from Aging Population and Low Productivity
UK Heatwaves Expose Pressure on Public Transport and Housing Infrastructure
UK Government Prepares Welfare Review Amid Debate Over Personal Independence Payment Reform
UK Government Expands Rapid Endometriosis Testing Across NHS Services
Vistry Group Issues Profit Warning as UK Housing Market Faces Continued Pressure
Virgin Media Receives Record Twenty-Eight Million Pound Fine Over Contract Cancellation Failures
Office for Budget Responsibility Warns UK Public Finances Face Long-Term Pressure
UK Watchdog Warns Regional Income Gap Has Barely Narrowed in Three Decades
IMF Raises United Kingdom Growth Forecast as Inflation and Energy Pressures Ease
UK Government Launches Regulatory Reform Bill to Speed Up Commercialization of Innovation
Prince Harry Loses Privacy Lawsuit Against Daily Mail Publisher After High Court Rejects Claims
Federal Financial Framework Shifts as Treasury Launches Universal Savings Program for Minors
Jet2 Reports Strong Summer Travel Demand as Bookings Rise Seven Percent
Prince Harry Loses High Court Privacy Case Against Daily Mail Publisher
British Universities Warn Against Potential European Union Tuition Fee Changes
Heal Fertility Clinic Investigated After Embryo Biopsy Sample Mix-Up
Resolution Foundation Warns Regional Income Divide Has Barely Improved Since 1997
British Markets Remain Cautious as Middle East Tensions Rise and Government Transition Nears
Andy Burnham Poised to Become United Kingdom Prime Minister in Expected Political Transition
Nigel Farage Resigns as Member of Parliament Ahead of By-Election Amid Funding Investigation
Trump Declares Iran Ceasefire Over After Renewed Attacks on United States Bases
French Court Allows Le Pen to Run for Presidency, but with an Electronic Tag: "I Will Appeal, and I Will Run"
$1.4 Trillion: The Lawsuit That Could Crush Meta
Europe's Growing Struggle with Extreme Heat and Air Conditioning
UK Daily Briefing: Legal Developments and Social Issues
Political Turmoil and Rising Costs
Anthropic Reengineers Agentic Architecture to Shift Autonomous Workplace Automation to the Cloud
Logic Flaw in Windows 11 Permission Architecture Silently Consumes Hundreds of Gigabytes of Local Storage
Apple Advances Late-Stage Operating Systems with Fourth Beta Deployments
Global Crisis Alert: Escalating Middle East Tensions and UK Political Upheaval
UK Parliament Pushes for Greater Domestic Control Over Critical Technologies
UK Parliament Warns Trade Fair and Exhibition Industry Is Losing Global Competitiveness
Police Launch Murder Investigation After Mother and Two Children Found Dead Near Bedford
British Chambers of Commerce Survey Shows Business Confidence Falls to Post-Pandemic Low
UK Parliament Report Warns Britain Risks Falling Behind in Artificial Intelligence Sovereignty
Office for Budget Responsibility Warns United Kingdom Faces Long-Term Fiscal Pressures
Nigel Farage Resigns as Member of Parliament Amid Financial Scrutiny and Triggers By-Election
×