Tories would cut broadband tax
Elect the Conservative Party, and it will overhaul the BBC and ditch plans to tax phone lines to fund faster broadband.


If elected, the Conservatives would ditch plans to tax phone lines 50 pence a month to pay for a superfast broadband rollout.
Shadow culture secretary Jeremy Hunt told the Financial Times that the tax, proposed as part of the government's Digital Britain plans, would be scrapped "as soon as possible."
The Digital Britain plan looks to increase broadband speeds across the country and ensure everyone has a minimum 2Mbps. The broadband tax would raise 175 million annually towards that goal.
Hunt also said his party would force the BBC to share some of licence fees to other TV stations and change the structure of the trust which runs the government broadcasting body.
Ofcom would survive a Tory government, but would see its "policy-making powers" go back to ministers, he added.
The Conservatives have previously promised to end controversial IT projects such as ID cards.
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
Freelance journalist Nicole Kobie first started writing for ITPro in 2007, with bylines in New Scientist, Wired, PC Pro and many more.
Nicole the author of a book about the history of technology, The Long History of the Future.
-
RSAC Conference 2025: The front line of cyber innovation
ITPro Podcast Ransomware, quantum computing, and an unsurprising focus on AI were highlights of this year's event
-
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei thinks we're burying our heads in the sand on AI job losses
News With AI set to hit entry-level jobs especially, some industry execs say clear warning signs are being ignored
-
‘A major step forward’: Keir Starmer’s £187 million tech skills drive welcomed by UK industry
News The ‘TechFirst’ program aims to shore up the UK’s digital skills to meet future AI needs
-
Government’s ‘Humphrey’ AI tool helps local authorities cut costs
News The Minute tool, part of the Humphrey AI assistant, is being trialled at 25 councils
-
Starmer bets big on AI to unlock public sector savings
News AI adoption could be a major boon for the UK and save taxpayers billions, according to prime minister Keir Starmer.
-
UK government targets ‘startup’ mindset in AI funding overhaul
News Public sector AI funding will be overhauled in the UK in a bid to simplify processes and push more projects into development.
-
UK government signs up Anthropic to improve public services
News The UK government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Anthropic to explore how the company's Claude AI assistant could be used to improve access to public services.
-
The UK’s AI ambitions face one major hurdle – finding enough home-grown talent
News Research shows UK enterprises are struggling to fill AI roles, raising concerns over the country's ability to meet expectations in the global AI race.
-
US government urged to overhaul outdated technology
News A review from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found legacy technology and outdated IT systems are negatively impacting efficiency.
-
Government urged to improve tech procurement practices
News The National Audit Office highlighted wasted money and a lack of progress on major digital transformation programmes