POLITICIAN Robert Halfon submitted a bill in the House of Commons on Tuesday calling on the Government to give licence-fee payers a greater say in how the BBC is run.

The Tory MP, whose Harlow constituency includes Matching and Hastingwood, has also met the culture secretary Jeremy Hunt to discuss how the corporation can be made more accountable.

Mr Halfon wants licence-fee payers to have a vote on a number of issues at the BBC, including programming and the salaries that it pays to senior members of staff.

He also wants people to be able to elect members to both the BBC Trust and the BBC Executive Board.

Mr Halfon said: "I am proud of the BBC and the organisation's umbilical cord to the British people.

"I am a particular admirer of BBC Radio 4 and the World Service, but the BBC is currently run like a feudal monarchy and spends over £50,000 on taxis every single day.

"It must be more accountable to ordinary people, who want more money to be spent on good BBC journalism, sport, and new programming, rather than wasteful and expensive projects, such as the £1 billion move to a new Media City in Salford, Manchester."