Corbyn floats plan for providence tax on tech companies to fund journalism

Jeremy Corbyn being interviewed by the BBC's Andrew Marr Image caption The Labour chief says the licence fee could be set independently

A windfall tax could be levied on tech giants corresponding to Google, Amazon and Fb to pay for public hobby journalism, Jeremy Corbyn is to say.

The Labour chief will call for radical reform of the media panorama in a speech on the Edinburgh TELEVISION Festival.

he’ll say virtual “monopolies” which “extract large wealth” may just pay for non-benefit, investigative reporting.

Other concepts include a digital licence rate, elections to the BBC board and an end to ministers vetoing FOI requests.

Low levels of trust within the media can’t be unnoticed, Mr Corbyn will say on Thursday within the Selection MacTaggart lecture – a speech which will be watched intently as a information to how a future Labour government would possibly way media policy.

Symbol copyright PA

Mr Corbyn has long supported a review of media possession laws amid longstanding issues inside the celebration in regards to the power of businesses comparable to Rupert Murdoch’s Information Corp and 21st Century Fox.

Labour’s 2017 manifesto promised to give regulator Ofcom extra powers to give protection to media plurality and to reconsider laws on who is fit and correct to run TELEVISION and radio stations.

Excerpts of the speech launched by the Labour’s chief’s team don’t refer particularly to possession laws or to the current takeover battle for Sky or the longer term of Sky Information – set to modify possession as part of the deal.

Concepts for the BBC

There are, on the other hand, a chain of proposals for the governance of the BBC, designed to allow it to compete more effectively in the virtual age, but additionally to “democratise” it and make it extra accountable.

Duty for finding out the licence rate may well be taken clear of ministers and passed to an impartial frame.

he’s going to also make the case for a virtual most sensible-up to the licence charge, to be paid for by means of a levy on internet provider suppliers, at the same time as BBC body of workers and licence-rate payers may get to elect members of editorial and nearby boards – which he says would scale back political influence and empower licence-price payers.

The Conservatives stated Labour’s proposals had been economically illiterate and may hurt customers.

“Tech companies might just submit their costs and cross this Internet Tax instantly onto households and businesses across the country – including more power to weekly bills,” mentioned its deputy chair James Cleverly.

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