BBC braced for licence fee clash with new Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries

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The BBC is braced for a battle over the future of the licence fee after Nadine Dorries was made the new Culture Secretary.

The minister, who took over from Oliver Dowden in this week's Cabinet reshuffle, appears likely to play hardball in future negotiations – having once described state-run television as 'more in keeping with a Soviet-style country'.

Her appointment comes at a critical time for the broadcaster amid ongoing talks about what level the licence fee should be set at for the next five years.

There has also been a row over the appointment of Jess Brammar – who has posted tweets critical of Brexit and the Government in the past – to a senior role in BBC News.

The BBC's director-general Tim Davie said yesterday that he was yet to speak to the new minister but hoped they could have a 'grown-up' dialogue.

While Miss Dorries, who will oversee the BBC in her new role, has yet to

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