SO, the BBC wants us to pay more and more to fund its "vision" for the future. It wants you and me to pay, through our licence fee, for its plunge into expanded digital services whether we want them or not.

This is the arrogant, publicly funded institution which continually tells us how we can watch umpteen of its channels on Freeview without admitting that not in this, and many other areas, we can't. This is the organisation which has poured millions into a publicly subsidised website undermining commercial competitors and which has set up obscure channels with miniscule audiences.

In the real world outside the BBC bubble, the cost of goods and services has gone down not up. To ask for its tax - for tax is what it is - to rise above the rate of inflation so that the licence fee is £200 by 2013 is disgraceful.

The BBC should be open to the same pressures as its rivals in all other branches of the media. If you don't like the Craven Herald, you don't buy it. You are not charged a "licence fee" to fund the Craven Herald even if you never read it - and nor should you, even if we like to think we are providing a public service.

The solution is simple: pay per view. A small charge on each programme you watch. So, if you don't want to watch obscure channels, or don't give two hoots about its incessantly plugged website, then you don't pay for it.

Rather than giving the BBC yet more money to fund its grandiose empire-building dreams, the Government should be looking at scrapping the licence fee altogether.