Responding to reports that the Government could interfere with prime time programming on the BBC, Labour’s Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Minister, Maria Eagle MP, said:

“John Whittingdale is behaving as if he were running the BBC - he is not. This kind of meddling in day to day scheduling decisions would be a completely unacceptable interference in the independence of the BBC. Labour will fight it all the way.

"The public will wonder why the Government is interfering with the BBC, and why they are trying to dictate when they can schedule hugely popular programmes like Strictly Come Dancing. 

"The results of the recent public consultation show the public value the BBC’s independence and that they want it to carry on doing what it has been doing. What have the Tories got against the BBC?”