Ministers explore cuts to BBC World Service as part of aid budget cull

Digest opened free editor

Rola Khaleda, FT editor, chooses her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.

The UK government examines the discounts in the BBC World Service Grant in reviewing spending, as the broadcaster is preparing for changes in its budget as a result of recently announced external aid discounts.

The Director General of the BBC Tim Devi said that the company is preparing to interact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs due to the repercussions of the decision.

“In the past few days, we have been asked to prepare for further participation with FCDO [Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office] He wrote on the chairs of the Development, Culture and Foreign Affairs Committees of Parliament.

He added: “We will be happy to keep you aware if this leads to financial effects on the global service in 2026-27 and beyond.”

Most of the global service grant comes from the official aid budget, while a small percentage of other financing utensils is obtained within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Government officials said that the discounts in the BBC World Service grant are among those who are in consideration, but they insisted on not making final decisions.

Sir Care Starmer The plans announced last month to reduce aid in the United Kingdom to finance an increase in defensive spending from 2027. Officials are now seeking to obtain about 6 billion pounds of savings from within the official development budget over the next two years.

BBC executive officials feel that the government will use discounts in external aid to impose it by adding to the global service budget later this year.

“With the freedom of the press significantly, the misleading information flourishes and the state -backed media is strongly advancing, [the World Service’s] The role is increasingly important. ”

He added: “We need a sustainable and long -term financing solution that enables global service to face these global challenges and invest in services for the future.”

In the autumn budget, the ministry obtained a 30 percent increase in government financing for global service in 2025-26, and reached a government grant to 137 million pounds.

Davi told deputies last week that the funds “run out in April 2026” and it is “only to keep the width on the road, not to mention [make] The right investment. “

He said he “does not know” about the repercussions of the government’s decision to change external aid, but he added: “I would like to suggest that it is not positive.”

“The global service is the jewel in the crown of Britain, and it has been documented all over the world. Where services were reduced, Russia and China filled the space with very different goals,” said Sarah Batal, Chairman of the Employment of the International Development Committee.

Some have put forward the idea of ​​the government that finances the entire global service again. Samir Shah, the BBC president, told the committee that if the government “recalls the global service, this will provide us with a few million pounds annually. [But] This is not in my gift. ”

Last week, the UK Foreign Minister David Lami Financial Fi TT said that almost every element of aid budget is considered a “line line” for potential discounts, as part of the Bill spending review.

People within FCDO are ready for wider discounts to their section in reviewing spending, as well as reducing aid budget. The reduction to the number of diplomatic employees of the Ministry is the last possibility that raised the alert between the former enlightenment.

Lammy was previously a strong defender of the British Broadcasting Corporation, describing it as one of the main institutions that constitute soft power in the UK, which in turn described it as one of the greatest strengths in Britain last year.

He climbed criticism on the conservatives to undermine the broadcaster in an article that put his approach to foreign policy before the general elections last summer.

FCDO officials have indicated that the BBC financing model is scheduled to be seen in reviewing the next charter of the company.

However, they stressed the government’s support for global service in the budget last October.

Officials indicate that they are alive in the arguments that the BBC has been informed that global service is a decisive duty in the face of misleading information abroad.

FCDO said: “The government is highly estimated at the BBC World, which reaches a global audience of 320 million, and remains the most reliable international news service in the world.”