According to Politics Home:
Boris Johnson does not agree with senior Number 10 aides who want to force the BBC to scrap the licence fee, it has emerged.
A source told The Times Mr Johnson was “not as gung ho” on ditching the broadcaster's longstanding funding model as his most senior adviser Dominic Cummings.
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Johnson pretends not to understand things when he is fully aware and doesn’t want to face the issue (or get caught out).
At least with Cummings you know he is a sh#t and he doesn’t care. Johnson wants to be liked and uses Cummings to deflect difficult issues.
I don’t see a divide at his stage – but hopefully some Tory MPs will realise they are being played and get some backbone in standing up to No. 10 (whoever is running it).
Johnson is a Member of Parliament and the Prime Minister. He was elected with a large majority for five years, and will probably win the next general election whatever happens.
Cummings is a back-room boy. A genius at winning elections by all accounts, but Cummings will not win in a political battle (and the recent Sabisky contretemps shows he lacks some political nous).
Johnson also needs a team of people to deal with the detail, and that is where Cummings is useful. But if Johnson wants Cummings to go, he will go.
If I had to guess, I expect there will be a falling out between them at some point before the next general election – Cummings might even go later this year, as he has already served his short-term function by winning the election in December.
Surely not?
Elisabeth Murdoch, the daughter of Rupert Murdoch who became a successful television entrepreneur in her own right, has emerged as a surprise candidate to run the BBC.
https://inews.co.uk/news/elisabeth-murdoch-surprise-contender-to-become-new-bbc-director-general-1394245
You are kidding…
I too was a little taken aback.
It’s not complete nonsense. She has a track record as a programme maker and business executive. She’s on the record as a supporter of the licence fee and has never really been involved in her family’s media businesses, though she has benefited from them financially.
I agree Ralph
It’s not nonsense
It’s very much worse than that for all that it represents
I’m certainly not arguing that it would be acceptable, let alone desirable, but if a criterion is competence, then she would fit the bill. It looks very unlikely that the government will accept the appointment of a BBC lifer or a perceived political opponent, which may explain why James Purnell, of New Labour fame, isn’t being mentioned much anymore. Currently, News UK is trying to entice a lot of the BBC’s best talent over to its new Times Radio business. Most of us might see that as a conflict of interest for Elisabeth Murdoch. The present government would no doubt look on that as a plus for her candidacy.