Admission

Today's Daily Mirror leader calls on BBC DG Lord Hall to admit he was wrong.

The BBC must confront the Government about free TV licences for over-75s or face a world of pain.

The Government is ultimately responsible for the benefit and BBC bosses are foolish to let Theresa May treat the corporation as a branch office of the Department for Work.

Director-General Tony Hall must demand the Government covers the £745million cost of the more than four million licences, as was the case when Labour introduced the perk.

This will mean that Lord Hall will have to admit he was wrong four years ago to let George Osborne, then Chancellor, bully him into accepting the BBC would fund or cut free TV for older pensioners.

If Mrs May wants to force senior citizens to pay to watch TV let her do it openly, instead of cravenly hiding behind the BBC. If the BBC wants to avoid a noisy backlash or shutting channels, let bosses stand up to a PM who is using them.