POLL: Should the BBC lose funding over ‘anti-British’ royal snub? | UK | News
The BBC has been accused of being “anti-British” over reported plans to reduce its state events team to a single member of staff – so what do you think? The broadcaster could significantly reduce the workforce of BBC Studios Events Productions, which currently employs six people to oversee coverage of major events including the VE Day and D-Day anniversaries.
Following the news, sources accused the company of preferring commercial events such as the Glastonbury Festival over traditional royal events such as Joining the Colours. Former Attorney-General Sir Michael Ellis KC described it as “another disgraceful anti-British decision by the BBC”. So what do you think? Vote in our poll and join the discussion in the comments section.
Commenting on the news, Sir Michael said: Daily Mail:“Somehow they can find unlimited resources to send a ridiculous line-up of 550 people to the Glastonbury Festival.
“But they want to cut the excellent team that won awards for covering important ceremonies and important state events in the life of this nation.”
The layoffs were announced last week, just one day after the Studios Events Productions team won the Royal Television Society Award for live coverage of Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, 2025.
Another source described the move as “extremely short-sighted” and called for it to be halted until Matt Brittin replaces chief executive Tim Davie, who left in May.
“This is literally the crown jewel of live British broadcasting,” they added. “They never do that for major football events, so what is it about national life that they don’t value?
A spokesman for the BBC said: “As a prudent business with a mandate to maximize returns for the BBC, we regularly review how we are set up and where we can operate more effectively.
“We are proposing some changes that will help us remain creatively strong and continue to deliver a variety of high-quality programming while managing our costs in a challenging and fast-moving market.”
