Let this be the last BBC charter renewal

On 10th March 2026, the public consultation on the BBC’s charter renewal closes.

The charter, due to expire in December 2027 – with Labour still in office – will be shaped by the responses. Amidst waning public support for the BBC, this is a consequential moment for all those who care about our national broadcaster’s future.

The timing is pertinent. With increasing unrest – and the dangers posed to journalists – in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, the BBC and its world-class correspondents have never been so valuable. Trusted updates abound at a consistency few others can match.

The BBC remains - as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy’s encomium characterised it - the “light on the hill” in a post-truth age – and unfettered by private interest.

Our national broadcaster is one of the few remaining forms of effective British soft power; an institution that elicits international respect and envy in equal measure – especially of late, from across the pond. Let this be the last charter renewal.

To respond to the consultation, visit the link below. The British Broadcasting Challenge, a pro-public service campaign, provides good advice on how to answer the technical questions.