Rishi Sunak reportedly won’t privatise Channel 4

Rishi Sunak is reportedly set to scrap plans to privatise Channel 4.

It comes after the Prime Minister previously backed the decision to privatise the broadcaster during his failed campaign to become Conservative Party leader earlier this summer, arguing that the channel needed a commercial owner to help it compete with streaming services like Netflix.

However, The Financial Times reports that Sunak had been privately sceptical of the case for selling Channel 4 and is now planning to drop the sale from the upcoming media bill.

Previous Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries had tweeted her intentions to privatise the broadcaster under the belief that government ownership is “holding Channel 4 back” from competing against streaming platforms.

A Change.org petition was launched in response to stop the plans and received almost 500,000 signatures.

And back in September, new Culture Secretary, Michelle Donelan said she would “re-examine the business case” for privatising Channel 4, under Liz Truss’ former government.

“As the Prime Minister said, we do need to re-examine the business case and that’s certainly what I’m doing. We’re looking especially at the business case for the sale of Channel 4 and we’re making sure that we still agree with that decision,” she said at the time.

She added: “I’m the type of politician that bases their decisions on evidence, that bases their decisions on listening, and that’s what I’ll be doing over the coming weeks.”

Back in June it was reported that Idris Elba had been in talks to back a £1billion bid for Channel 4.

According to The Sunday Times, the actor was in discussions with entrepreneur Marc Boyan, the founder and CEO of marketing and communications firm The Miroma Group.

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