Labour MPs have warned Prime Minister Keir Starmer that plans to switch off Freeview terrestrial television could cost the party crucial marginal seats at the next election. In an open letter seen by The i Paper, 17 MPs from across the party urged the Government to rethink the move, which would end free-to-air TV via aerial and require households to have broadband for online-only viewing.
The switch-off, backed by the BBC and expected to be green-lit by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, would affect around 10 million homes that currently rely on Freeview. The MPs argue that the change would disproportionately hit older people, women, lower-income households, and those in towns and coastal communities where Labour's majorities are thinnest. They wrote: “Asking them to take out a broadband contract they cannot comfortably afford, in order to keep watching the television they already have, is not a transition. It is a charge.”
The letter, signed by MPs including left-winger Cat Smith and centrist Luke Akehurst, warns that the cost of TV viewing could rise by £200 a year in broadband charges for some homes. It calls for a guarantee that terrestrial television will continue beyond 2034, when current broadcasting licences expire. The signatories include Joe Morris, a close ally of potential leadership challenger Wes Streeting, who resigned as his parliamentary private secretary last year.
A Department for Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson said the Government is committed to ensuring no one is left behind as TV moves online, and will consult on options before any decision. Any switch-off would depend on universal availability of affordable superfast broadband, which the Government aims to achieve by 2032. However, campaigners estimate that around 5 million homes will still rely on Freeview by 2034, meaning many would need to upgrade equipment and internet connections.
