Two-thirds of Labour members back extending BBC licence fee – poll

More than four in five Labour members consider the BBC licence fee to be good value for money, with two-thirds preferring the broadcaster to continue being funded in that way, exclusive polling for LabourList reveals.

Polling conducted by Survation found that 86% of members thought that the licence fee was good value for money, compared to just nine percent who thought it is bad value for money.

Opposition toward the licence fee was greatest amongst members who earn less than £20,000 a year, at 19%.

It comes as Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy launches a review of the BBC’s Royal Charter, with the aim of bolstering trust in the broadcaster and putting it on a “sustainable financial footing”.

Options that the government is considering include reform of the licence fee and options for the BBC to generate more commercial revenue.

Announcing the review, Nandy said: “We want the BBC to continue to enrich people’s lives, tell Britain’s story and showcase our values and culture at home and overseas, long into the future.

“My aims for the Charter Review are clear. The BBC must remain fiercely independent, accountable and be able to command public trust. It must reflect the whole of the UK, remain an engine for economic growth and be funded in a way that is sustainable and fair for audiences.”

READ MORE: ‘The BBC crisis and our half-right, half-wrong politics’

Two-thirds (67%) of Labour members said that the licence fee should remain as the way the BBC is funded, with 71% of Lisa Nandy voters at the 2020 leadership election backing the system – compared to 70% for Keir Starmer supporters and 57% for Rebecca Long-Bailey backers.

Among alternative options, 33% backed a form of general taxation for public service media, similar to systems used in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, while just under a quarter (23%) supported the idea of direct funding from government for the BBC.

Ten percent of Labour members supported the BBC being funded from donations and commercial revenue, including advertising, while two percent favoured privatisation of the broadcaster.

A public consultation on the Royal Charter’s renewal is now open and closes on March 10, 2026.

The poll is the latest in a series of regular polls LabourList is publishing in partnership with leading pollsters Survation, a member of the British Polling Council and a Market Research Society Partner.

Survation surveyed 1,013 readers of LabourList, the leading dedicated newsletter and news and comment website for Labour supporters, who also said they were Labour Party members between November 18 and 20.

Data was weighted to the profile of party members by age, sex, region, 2020 Labour leadership vote and 2025 deputy leadership vote. Targets for weighting were drawn from the British Election Study and the results of the leadership and deputy leadership election.

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