Petition Draft
PETITION: Force the BBC to Offer On-Demand 50% TV Licence Refunds for Royal Charter Breaches
To: BBC Board, Director-General, and UK Government Goal: 100,000 signatures
PETITION: Force the BBC to Offer On-Demand 50% TV Licence Refunds for Royal Charter Breaches
To: BBC Board, Director-General, and UK Government
Goal: 100,000 signatures
The Situation: Your BBC Contract
Most UK households pay £174.50 annually for a TV Licence, funding the BBC's promise of world-class public service broadcasting. The BBC Royal Charter (Article 9) legally binds it to "due accuracy and impartiality" in news—enforced by Ofcom since 2017. This is a contractual obligation: You pay for trusted, unbiased journalism, not propaganda.
In fairness, the BBC delivers some excellent programmes—but when it fails on news, you've been short-changed.
The Problem: Systemic Breaches in BBC Scotland
BBC Reporting Scotland faces widespread accusations of bias from pro-indy campaigners, academics, and viewer monitors. It systematically portrays the SNP-led Scottish Government as incompetent, downplays UK Government failures, and pushes a pro-Union narrative via "lies by omission," misleading headlines (e.g., inflating drug deaths, false ferry costs, claiming Scotland "voted" for Brexit).
Evidence is overwhelming:
5+ on-air apologies/corrections in 2025 alone—outnumbering ALL other UK BBC regions combined (e.g., Debate Night, drug deaths).
Plummeting viewership, spiking Ofcom complaints, academic studies, and 5+ historic Ofcom breaches.
"Scotland Inferior" framing erodes devolved trust to prop up the Union.
This isn't isolated—it's institutionalised activism funded by YOUR money.
The Implications: You're Being Defrauded
Financial hit: £174.50 wasted on partisan hit-pieces, breaching consumer laws like the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (misleading service = fraud).
Democratic damage: Misleads voters, undermines Scottish institutions, fuels division.
No accountability: Hidden corrections, no refunds, endless cycle. Precedent: Ofcom fined BBC £50k+ for impartiality fails (2022)—yet no consumer remedy.
Your power eroded: 65% public support to defund the licence, but until then, payers subsidise bias.
Bottom line: We're furious. This isn't journalism—it's theft.
The Solution:
50% On-Demand Refunds – Fair, Simple, EffectiveDemand the BBC agrees TODAY to:
Provide Independent Claims Hotline: Licence payers apply on-demand for 50% refund (£87.25) if BBC breaches Charter (e.g., no 24-hour on-air apology for proven error).
Opt-in only: No universal cut—those happy with BBC can still pay full value. if they wish - Fair to all.
Automatic trigger: Bias/error = pro-rata penalty. BBC loses 50% revenue per claim—instant incentive to clean up.
Payoff for YOU.
Holds BBC accountable: Forces accuracy or pay the price.
Empowers payers: Like any commercial dispute—claim your money back.
Protects good content: Rewards quality, punishes failures.
Viral pressure: Mass claims = reform or revenue collapse.
BBC: Honour your Charter—or refund us. Sign now. Share widely. #BBCRefund50
#FixBBCBias
Then: Complain to BBC → ECU → Ofcom.
We, the undersigned, demand the BBC implements this policy within 30 days.[Signature space]