96% of the people in the consultation rejected the government's plans to privatise Channel 4.
Public opinion is against it.
There is widespread opposition from the British media industry, the broadcaster’s current management, and a large number of Conservative MPs.
Almost 96 per cent of the 55,737 organisations and individuals who took part in the Government’s consultation on the TV channels said they did not support the privatisation of Channel 4, while 91 per cent said they did not think it would be more sustainable under a private owner.
According to a Government report, many also argued that privatisation would have “an overall negative impact” on audiences as it “could reduce the range and diversity of Channel 4’s programme output”.
They are ignoring the deluge of resistance to the sell off and ploughing on regardless.
Nadine Dorries has explicitly stated they are ignoring petitions - petitions with hundreds of thousands of signatures from people who feel ignored, who are trying to make their opinion known and attended to in a climate of political silencing - people who are supposed to be listened to by those who are in government.
What supreme arrogance.
So many people signing this petition say 'for what it's worth' and 'there's probably no point.'
You would have thought a minister would be ashamed that they are viewed as being so unconcerned. As if all of this is a game they are trying to win - and not about our lives.
We are people who continue to insist that those in government are not our overlords but are in public service. It is their job to listen to our concerns and not to show such breathtaking disregard.
They have no mandate to wreck Channel 4, but that is how this government operates. They want to make it very clear that they will do what they want, when they want and not be stopped or in any way held to account. It's a game of 'how much can we get away with?'
Whether this is getting away with a culture of breaking rules during Covid lockdowns (rules they made, rules that were put in place for people to be protected, rules to prevent thousands and thousands of needless deaths); whether this is ploughing on with destroying a public broadcaster - one that provides public service, that platforms talent and voices from around the country, from across all our communities - despite the avalanche of objections.
And that is why trust is being eroded in democracy in this country.
This government is hell-bent on eroding democracy even as they make great claims to being its champions on the world stage.
There is no democracy without independent journalism and news, without programmes like Untold Stories, Dispatches and Channel 4 News that scrutinise power and hold it to account.
These programmes make sure that those who are silenced are given a platform to speak, to be heard. Abject failures around justice and accountability are brought to the light.
If profit is the guiding principle after the sell-off then those voices will be silenced again. Because, as this government well knows, justice doesn't make them money and doesn't protect their power. Justice is an inconvenience that can be bent and twisted to meet their needs.
However someone voted in a previous election, they want to know why their deeply loved vulnerable, elderly relatives were exposed to danger by the government policy of discharging untested patients to care homes - that has now been found to be 'unlawful.'
We need independent journalism to hold them to account.
If a government is actively and wilfully determined to silence these voices then they are clearly showing how they truly feel about the concept of democracy.
Many believe the real reasons for the sell off are programmes such as, amongst others
But maybe, to use your words, Nadine Dorries, this makes them woke Leftist luvvies.
I never really saw the accusation of being awake to people's everyday, real world struggles and trying to do something as much of an insult.
Isn't being awake to our struggles the job description for an elected member of government?
Is being concerned about poverty, the housing crisis, the undermining of the NHS, employment fears, education cuts, appalling failures of justice something to be derided?
You wouldn't have thought so.
Please continue to sign + share our petition to #savechannel4
Let's protect the home of Derry Girls, Gogglebox, The Great British Bake Off, brilliant risk-taking drama like It's A Sin, hard hitting current affairs programmes like Untold Stories and Dispatches - and independent news that plays such a vital part in a healthy democracy.