ANDY Burnham is under public pressure to save Freeview as four in five Brits expect the Prime Minister to safeguard free-to-air TV, new polling reveals.

A striking 75 per cent of the public said they were concerned over Labour’s plans to scrap Freeview.

ANDY Burnham is under public pressure to save Freeview as four in five Brits expect the Prime Minister to safeguard free-to-air TV

Culture Secretary Lisa Nanyd is under increasing pressure to save free-to-air TV

Ministers are deciding whether to end terrestrial television for good and instead broadcast TV over the internet.

The Jattvibe has launched a Save Our Sets campaign to protect free TV and has seen the MPs’ letter.Andy Burnham told the House of Commons last week that he was concerned about the proposals and wanted to have a “proper look” at them.

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Almost 70 per cent of punters believe the PM will have broken his word if he goes ahead with the switch off.

Silver Voices director Dennis Reed said: “Pensioners would be affected the most by this hare-brained premature switch-off plan. We need a decision from Andy Burnham now that the plan will be scrapped, not another dither and delay.”

A Save Free TV spokesman said millions of people rely on Freeview and that Mr Burnham must “guarantee its future to 2044 at the very least”.

More than 50 MPs wrote to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy urging her to reject a “rushed 2034 switch-off” which would hammer the most vulnerable.

Shadow Culture Secretary Rebecca Paul said: “Whilst Andy Burnham has said he will look again at Freeview, as this poll shows, voters will expect more than yet more warm words from our new Prime Minister.”

A Government spokesperson said: “We are committed to ensuring that no one is left behind as TV viewing increasingly moves online.

“Any future transition would only proceed once we are confident the right safeguards, infrastructure and support are in place so that everyone can continue to access television affordably and with confidence.”

Meanwhile Labour MPs are ready to revolt over plans to switch off Freeview TV by 2034 — claiming it is a lifeline for older viewers.

The backbenchers are among 52 MPs who have written to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy urging her to guarantee terrestrial telly until 2044.

Steve Reed, a Cabinet minister under Sir Keir Starmer, said: “Free-to-air is a lifeline for the elderly, not to mention families on tight budgets or those without reliable or affordable broadband.

“We should not allow a premature switch-off to place an effective paywall around a service that’s reached every home for generations.”

Mr Reed added he was backing the 2044 option because, he said, it protects the most vulnerable, keeps household bills down and safeguards national resilience.

Ministers say an earlier switch-over could save cash to help improve the Beeb.