DOWNING Street was hit by a backbench Tory revolt over a plan to scrap the BBC license fee and force it to sell off more than 60 radio and TV stations.
Senior Downing Street figures said they were not bluffing over threats to tear up the corporations nationwide funding tax.
In a major overhaul, one of Boris Johnsons senior aides also said it would be forced to significantly scale back its website and invest more in the World Service.
But senior Tory backbenchers baulked at the plan which they said goes too far.
Former de facto deputy PM Damian Green said: Destroying the BBC wasnt in our manifesto and would be cultural vandalism. Vote Tory and close Radio 2. Really?.
A Tory Commons committee chairman, Huw Merriman dubbed it a vendetta against the BBC that was not going to end well, and added: No mention of it in our manifesto (where we actually promised to work with BBC to build new partnerships across globe) so I wont be supporting it.
No10 last night distanced the PM from the briefing to the Sunday Times.
But while calling the BBC a much loved national treasure, he also insisted it must change with the times.
He added: In a changing world, the BBC will have to change. But there have been no preordained decisions.
Ministers this month launched a consultation on the license fee, which is set to stay in place until 2027, as an argument grows for the Beeb to become a subscription service instead.
Damian Green said ‘destroying the BBC wasn’t in our manifesto’
