SNP say BBC licence fee freeze an attack on journalism to distract from Boris Johnson party scandals

Angela Rayner has hit out at the Prime Minister's new staffing appointments - describing the move as 'frantically rearranging deckchairs'.

after Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced MPs in the House of Commons following the publication of Sue Gray’s report into alleged illegal gatherings at Downing Street.Part of the exchange between Labour leader Keir Starmer and Johnson saw the Prime Minister incorrectly accuse Starmer of failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile when he was head of the Crown Prosecution Service.Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy interviewed Dorries and asked why Johnson had used “fake news” and an “old meme repeated by conspiracy theorists” against Starmer in the House of Commons.Dorries shook her head and rolled her eyes when asked saying: “I don’t know, I don’t know the details…” she repeated before saying “the prime minister tells the truth,” despite repeated challenges from Guru-Murthy.On social media, users were quick to point out the sharp comparison’s to Tate’s character Lauren, a stroppy teenage school girl whose catchphrase was “Am I bovvered” and “are you disrespecting me?”You can see some of there reaction and comparisons here:Check out this excellent (but doctored) @krishgm interview with Tory MP Nadine Dorries.

Manori Ravindran International EditorU.K. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries opened the virtual Creative Coalition Festival on Tuesday with a rallying speech about the creative industries, but stayed quiet on all matters relating to the future of broadcasters Channel 4 and the BBC.In what appeared to be a pre-recorded segment, Dorries talked up the music sector as examples of the U.K.’s “creative powerhouse,” referencing Coldplay and Adele’s new albums as well as Dua Lipa’s hit song “Levitating.” “It’s our writers and musicians and designers and composers who are the most celebrated around the world today and do the most to sell the U.K.

The UK’s Culture Department is planning to carry out a colossal review into creative industries in the nation, incorporating film and TV.

BBC over Netflix last year, according to a report.A study from media analyst Enders Analysis (via Deadline), which set out to research Netflix’s growth in the country over the last decade, found the proportion of total UK viewing to Netflix was seven per cent in 2021, compared to 22 per cent for the BBC.ITV and YouTube beat Netflix too with 16 and 14 per cent respectively. Channel 4 was level with the streaming giant at seven per cent.According to the report, Netflix’s proportion of UK viewing has risen over the past decade, although it remained broadly flat last year.

Hear’Say on tables.The end of the report read: “Please forward any queries to my email [email protected].”This is an actual series of messages I have received from someone who works for a cabinet minister. Source is verified.

Boris Johnson is still waiting for Sue Gray’s partygate report to arrive on his desk.

Professor Green has taken aim at Prime Minister Boris Johnson with his new single ‘Dance Like A Tory’ – listen below.The London rapper – real name Stephen Manderson – released the satirical song today (January 27) in response to the recent parties scandal that’s engulfed Downing Street and led to calls for Johnson to resign.‘Dance Like A Tory’ is described as “a playful prod at the privileged politicians who believed that they’re too important to follow the very rules that they made”. It arrives with a tongue-in-cheek video in which Pro Green takes on the role of Johnson at a coronavirus press conference.“It’s popping off on Downing Street / My favourite restaurant just closed down / The doors to 338 are closed / While Number 10 gets down,” Green raps in the single.

Pressure is continuing to mount on Prime Minister Boris Johnson as the government waits for the official investigation into the 'partygate' row.

Afternoon subscribers, Max Goldbart here. It’s been a busy week but International Insider has you covered. Read on for in-depth analysis of the biggest international headlines of the week.

Line of Duty's crack trio have reunited to grill Boris Johnson in a new spoof episode.

BBC director general Tim Davie has said that the freezing of TV licence fees will cost the broadcaster £285million.Davie said the new settlement, set to stop the cost of licence fees increasing for the next two years, “will affect our frontline output” and prompt cuts across services and content.Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said of the decision yesterday (January 17): “The BBC must support people at a time when their finances are strained, make savings and efficiencies, and use the billions in public funding it receives to deliver for viewers, listeners and users.”“Inevitably, if you don’t have £285million, you will get less services and less programmes,” Davie subsequently told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday (January 18).“Now, I still think the BBC can offer extraordinary value for £13 a month.”Regarding potential cuts to accommodate for a stagnating licence fee until 2024, Davie continued: “We go first to those cuts where we don’t affect our output…We are not at the place where you can never make cuts, but this will affect our frontline output. There’s no doubt about that.”He went on to acknowledge the BBC “[needs] to reshape ourselves for a digital age”.“The media market is moving extremely rapidly,” he added.

Dan Walker has defended the BBC after it was hinted that the license fee would be scrapped. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries tweeted about plans to overhaul the funding model for the BBC, revealing that the next announcement about the fee would "be the last".The annual payment usually changes on April 1 of each year, however, reports suggest that it will be frozen at the rate of £159 for the next two years.

Boris Johnson – check it out below.For their latest release, the satirical duo repurposed Rage Against The Machine‘s 1991 protest anthem ‘Killing In The Name’ in response to recent allegations that Downing Street hosted various parties during lockdown.The clip begins with the PM asking the British public to “limit contact with other people” during a coronavirus press conference. “Now you do what I tell you,” Johnson adds over an instrumental of the classic Rage single.“As you comply, I socialise/ With cheese and wine, and forty guys/ From ‘Next slide please’ to wine and cheese/ The rules you see, don’t apply to me,” Johnson says in the style of the original track.