LABOUR MPs are ready to revolt over plans to switch off Freeview TV by 2034 — claiming it is a lifeline for older viewers.
The backbenchers are among 52 MPs who have written to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy urging her to guarantee terrestrial telly until 2044.
Pressure is piling on PM Andy Burnham to adopt the later date to broadcast TV solely over the internet.
He told the Commons yesterday that he wanted a “proper look at” the plan, adding: “I recognise it is a genuine concern.”
The Sun has launched a Save Our Sets campaign to protect free TV and has seen the MPs’ letter.
It says a 2034 switch-off would force many to pay for high-speed broadband, and often new equipment, just to keep watching TV they now get for free.
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Steve Reed, a Cabinet minister under Sir Keir Starmer, said: “Free-to-air is a lifeline for the elderly, not to mention families on tight budgets or those without reliable or affordable broadband.
“We should not allow a premature switch-off to place an effective paywall around a service that’s reached every home for generations.”
Mr Reed added he was backing the 2044 option because, he said, it protects the most vulnerable, keeps household bills down and safeguards national resilience.
Ministers say an earlier switch-over could save cash to help improve the Beeb.
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A Government spokesman said there was a “strong case” for a transition to IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) but opinions were being sought from the industry and public.
He said: “We are committed to ensuring no one is left behind.
“Any future transition would only proceed once we are confident the right safeguards, infrastructure and support are in place so that everyone can continue to access television affordably and with confidence.”