“Emily Maitlis’ shoes are probably worth more than what a pensioner gets in a month,” said 75-year-old June Bishop as she joined pensioners protesting outside New Broadcasting House in London.
Having had a dig at the Newsnight presenter, Ms Bishop, a former legal secretary from Eltham, in south East London wasn’t finished.
“The BBC is full of repeats. They do a good drama, but I wouldn’t go to the cinema and pay the same money to see the same film over and over again. It’s scandalous, really,”she said.
READ MORE: 'The votes of three million over-75s are not to be ignored'
Angry scenes were repeated around the country yesterday as demonstrators, angry at the broadcaster’s decision to scrap universal TV licences for the over-75s, staged protests at BBC headquarters in London, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds and Norwich.
In Glasgow, dozens took part in a protest outside BBC Scotland’s Pacific Quay headquarters, chanting: “BBC, BBC, keep our licence free”.
Some of those at the protest warned TV was a lifeline for many elderly people living alone, claiming some would give up licences rather than pay or claim Pension Credit, which will mean they still qualify for a free one.
However many said they blamed the UK Government, which forced the broadcaster to take on responsibility for the exemption as part of licence fee negotiations four years ago.
Most were not placated by the fact pensioners on low incomes will continue to be exempt.
Billy Foster, 72, from Glasgow, said: “Lots of elderly people are really proud and they will refuse to be means-tested and will end up without a TV. It is a scandal. Some people don’t see other people from one week to the other and it is their only contact with the outside world.”
Pat Milligan, 77, also from Glasgow, said free licence fees helped many older people to stay in touch.
“A lot of women in my age group are widows or have family that live elsewhere and TV is their contact with the outside world,” she said.
But she said the Government should take responsibility. “I don’t think it should be on the BBC, it should be on the Conservative Government, they’ve passed the buck to the BBC,” Ms Milligan said.
Protesters held placards with messages such as Save Our Free TV Licence and Don’t Switch Us Off.
Britain’s biggest pensioner organisation, the National Pensioners Convention (NPC), had called for the co-ordinated events.
They came as Westminster MPs agreed to debate the issue after an e-petition to continue to fund free TV licences for the over-75s achieved more than 170,000 signatures.
In London pensioners marched to Oxford Circus, stopping traffic and gathered outside New Broadcasting House.
While some said the BBC should have stood up for the universal perk, many took aim at the Government.
READ MORE: New legislative bid by Lord Foulkes to save free licences for over-75s
Ian Burleigh, 67, from London, said: “It’s a stealth tax by the Government.”
The decision to scrap the universal perk from June next year has been criticised by TV stars Len Goodman and Dame Esther Rantzen.
Around 3.7 million over 75s are expected to lose their right to a free licence. Continuing to make it free would cost £745 million, according to the House of Commons Library, around one-fifth of the corporation’s budget.
The BBC says funding the universal scheme would mean the closure of BBC Two, BBC Four, the BBC News Channel, the BBC Scotland channel, Radio 5 Live, and several local radio stations.
Jake McLeod, 73, chairman of the Unite retired members branch for Glasgow and the west of Scotland, said: “The Tories in their manifesto made it quite clear that they were going to keep the licence for the over-75s, but the onus has been put back on the BBC.
"We hope that a demonstration of this nature will grow throughout the country.”
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