Watch: BBC refusal to play anti-Starmer Christmas charity song ‘will cost

The BBC’s refusal to play an anti-Starmer Christmas song will cost pensioner donations, the singer of the festive parody has said.

Dean Ager sang Freezing This Christmas, by the parody act Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers, which uses the melody of Lonely This Christmas, Mud’s 1974 hit, to satirise the Prime Minister’s winter fuel payment cuts.

The song, written by marketer Chris Middleton has raised over £50,000 for Age UK since its release on Dec 4. It topped both the official sales and downloads charts earlier this week and made it to no 37 on the Official Singles Chart while vying to become Christmas no 1. However, the BBC has refused to air the track despite its charitable cause and popularity.

Mr Ager appeared outside the Houses of Parliament on Sunday and sang the song to a small crowd to raise awareness of the plight of pensioners who have lost their winter fuel payments.

“Christmas time is the perfect opportunity for those to think about other people, maybe not so well off as themselves,” Mr Ager told The Telegraph. “By this song not being played on the BBC and getting out to as many people it means less money is being raised, that’s the struggle I’m really trying to promote.”

Borrowing a spare electric heater from his own elderly father, Mr Ager and his friend – dressed in a grey dressing gown, Santa hat, and mask of Sir Keir Starmer – set up in Parliament Square, against the backdrop of Big Ben.

Mr Ager, who spends time working with the elderly and singing to them in care homes, added: “The Prime Minister is meant to be working for the people and it doesn’t look like that, especially if you’ve got a voice, you have to use it for those who don’t – like the elderly,” he added.

The charity single has raised over £50,000 for Age UK since its release

Among those in the crowd were Paul and Susan Young, whose own parents had their winter fuel payments stopped this year; they had one message for the Prime Minister.

“Sort something out for the OAPs,” Mrs Young said. “They’re entitled to a lot more. They’ve paid their taxes and he’s taken away their heating allowance.

She added: “Both our parents have lost their heating allowance. One of our parents, she just tends to put it on for a short while.

“We feel awful as their children. Society doesn’t seem to look after their own really. I think that’s the crux of it. Like I’ve said, they’ve paid their taxes and they don’t seem to get much back.”

The Department of Work and Pensions admitted in November that 100,000 older people will be pushed into relative poverty by 2027, as a result of the end to universal winter fuel payments. Age UK, the country’s leading charity dedicated to the elderly, estimates 2.5 million pensioners have been seriously affected by cuts in payments.

Although the charity has declined to comment on the donation or the song, Age UK has called on the Government to take action to safeguard the 2.5 million older people left without the payments from the cold.

Caroline Abrahams, the charity director for Age UK, said: “The Government’s policy change is already causing older people hardship and undermining their health and, as we get deeper into winter, realistically things are likely to get worse. Once again, we repeat our call to the Government to recognise the damage their decision to brutally means-test winter fuel payments is causing millions of older people and to bring in measures to soften the blow.”

The BBC said: “We play a wide range of music across our stations – we don’t have specific policies on tracks or ban any songs. Decisions on what we play are always made with the relevant audiences and context in mind.”

EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel