Reform MP Lee Anderson has been left fuming over the Huw Edwards sentencing and claimed that he has “ripped up his TV licence.”
This comes after the former BBC reporter was given a suspended sentence despite being sent 41 indecent images of children by a convicted paedophile.
Speaking to GB News, Anderson said: “This man, this Huw Edwards, I mean, I’ve ripped my TV licence up, a while back.
“I had a reminder last week that’s gone in the bin. I’m not paying for Edwards’s pension scheme because he’s going to get hundreds of thousands of pounds. This man’s a pervert.”
Huw Edwards, once a respected figure at the BBC, has faced a dramatic fall from grace.
The 63-year-old former News at Ten anchor appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, where he admitted to three charges of “making” indecent photographs of children.
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Edwards’s suspended sentence has sparked calls for him to repay the £200,000 salary he received from the BBC since his arrest.
BBC Director-General Tim Davie is among those demanding repayment, stating the corporation remains determined to reclaim the taxpayers’ money.
Davie told the Royal Television Society’s London convention: “The secret life this guy was leading was shocking.”
He defended the decision not to sack Edwards upon arrest, citing BBC guidelines, but acknowledged the scandal had likely affected public trust in the broadcaster.
The former BBC News at 10 newsreader was said to have been “emotional” throughout the sentencing and often held his hands to his head when listening to the ruling
Paul Goldspring, Chief Magistrate, said while delivering his sentence: “Perhaps it does not need saying that you are of previous good character having enjoyed a very successful career in the media.
“You were highly regarded for your dedication and professionalism, perhaps the most recognised journalist in the UK. Your reputation is in tatters.”
Lee Anderson claims to have ripped up his TV licence in 2021, at the time saying: “I personally have ripped up my TV licence and they will not be getting another penny from me, ever.
“The once-great BBC is wrong and my constituents should not have to pay for it if they do not use it.
“So does my right honourable friend agree with me, that one way to make BBC behave in the future is to make it a subscription service?”
