Luke Pollard MP has written to BBC Director General Tim Davie to express concern about the BBC’s plans to cut staff at BBC Millbank. Millbank is the BBC department which is responsible for the broadcast of 39 local radio stations in England and the Channel Islands, and 13 regional TV programmes across England.

The BBC have threatened to cut the jobs of three senior journalists and one journalism co-ordinator, which would severely reduce the department’s capacity to create bespoke local news programmes. At present, the BBC Millbank team is able to produce TV clips and audio sequences for Local Radio stations of proceedings in Parliament, provide tailored political analysis for every region, and broadcast any breaking news of relevant local interest during Parliamentary debates. The proposed cuts to BBC Millbank would threaten this high standard of local political journalism.

Luke Pollard MP wrote:

“To many of my constituents, particularly those without internet access, the BBC’s regional news is a lifeline. It is their primary method of staying informed with events both nationally and locally, and maintaining a sense of connection with their community. 

 

Given the significant political interest in preserving the best parts of public service broadcasting and the problems the BBC will face from a right-wing government on charter renewal I simply do not understand why you are picking fights like this that encourage MPs like myself to intervene and call out the BBC’s plans. It seems a strategy to alienate supporters at a time when you need them more than ever.”

You can read Luke’s letter to the BBC Director General in full at the top of the page.