Keir Starmer keeping open mind on BBC licence fee axe
Addressing this, Culture Select Committee chair Dame Caroline challenged the Labour leader on the "regressive tax".
According to The Sun, when asked about the future of the licence fee yesterday, Keir Starmer said: 'We're going through the review and it'll obviously come to its conclusion, and we keep an open mind on what we need to do with the licence fee.
Keir Starmer said he was 'open-minded' about the future of the TV licence (Image: PA/Stefan Rousseau) "But we are working closely with the BBC.'
What is the TV licence and when was it introduced?
The TV licence is a fee paid by households that watch, record or stream any television transmissions at the same time they are being broadcast.
The fee was introduced in 1946, when TV broadcasting resumed in the aftermath of the Second World War.
This licence was originally issued by the General Post Office, which was the regulator of public communications in the UK at that time.
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How much does the licence fee cost in 2025?
According to the TV Licensing website, the price of the fee changed last April, seeing the cost of a colour licence rise to £174.50 a year.
The annual cost of the much rarer black and white TV licence is just £58.50.
Those who are blind or severely sight-impaired can apply for a 50% concession on this, meaning the colour licence costs £87.25.
There are also a number of other concessions and arrangements available for people living in certain types of residential care and for over-75s receiving Pension Credit.
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