Sky News reports:

Observer editor-in-chief James Harding says BBC should be 'put beyond reach of politicians'

Editor-in-chief of The Observer, James Harding, a former head of the BBC's news and current affairs programming, says establishing the corporation's independence is critical "if we want to build confidence in shared facts and respect for the truth".
 
FNN agrees.
 
And the right way for the BBC to become independent of the Government and, more importantly independent of the UK taxpayers who subsidize it, is to scrap the license fee and move to a commercial subscription model just like everyone else. 
 
Currently, the license fee is essentially a tax and people who do not pay it are pursued for 'tax' evasion and may be fined.

The license fee model is an historical anachronism that should have been scrapped years ago.
 
In any case, the BBC tax should not be linked to whether you watch 'live' TV or not - whether that live TV includes the BBC or not.
 
If people want to watch 'commercial' ITV or Channel 4 live and not the BBC, then they should not have to pay a tax to the BBC for doing so.

It's nothing short of outrageous.