BBC bosses are lobbying to use the UK's defence budget to help pay for the World Service, arguing that aspects of the service, such as media monitoring and anti-disinformation, are vital for national security. Senior executives are in talks with officials over whether these elements should count towards Britain's security spending, as the corporation seeks to avoid tens of millions of pounds in cuts.
The Guardian revealed in May that the government had asked the BBC to draw up budget plans up to £70m lower than what the service believes it needs, partly due to Keir Starmer's decision to cut the aid budget. Jonathan Munro, head of the World Service, told an event at the Labour conference last week that he was looking to 'spread the burden' of funding across Whitehall, noting that rules on what counts as defence spending are complex but that stability and conflict spending now fits into that category.
The government currently pays for about a third of the World Service's £400m funding from the Foreign Office budget, with 80% qualifying as overseas aid. Starmer's decision to halve the aid budget earlier this year has put much of that funding at risk, with ministers asking the World Service to plan for cuts of up to 2% per year. BBC executives hope to ease the burden by classifying some spending, including efforts to monitor foreign media and counter propaganda, as national security.
A BBC spokesperson said: 'The BBC World Service delivers unparalleled UK cultural influence around the world, and as well as bringing economic benefits to the UK, plays an important role in national security and global stability.' The corporation is hoping to reach an agreement before the budget in November. The World Service has already announced 130 job cuts this year as part of efforts to save £6m.
Under financial pressure from the licence fee not keeping pace with rising costs, BBC Director General Tim Davie has talked about doubling the World Service's audience to a billion people, rather than managing decline. He warned at a recent conference that 'a lot seems at stake' in an increasingly dangerous world. BBC executives want the government's contribution to rise to near £200m in the next settlement, up from the £137m agreed for 2025-26, as they sell the service as a tool against misinformation from China and Russia.
