Scheming Tories knew they were jeopardising free TV licences for over-75s when they signed a deal with the BBC – two years before promising to keep the lifeline, the Culture Secretary who struck the arrangement admitted.

John Whittingdale realised he was risking the benefit when the Treasury and corporation agreed the pact in 2015, he confessed.

Some 3.7 million OAPs learned this week they would be stripped of the £154.50-a-year perk.

The bombshell dropped when the corporation – which would have faced a £745million annual bill to maintain the concession – said only over-75s who receive pension credit will be eligible from June 2020.

Currently all households with someone aged 75 or over are entitled to a free licence.

But the universal perk was doomed when the Tories stitched up a deal in 2015 for the corporation to take on the burden of funding the licences.

Mr Whittingdale told MPs: “When the decision was taken it was understood that this would be a possible outcome, not least because to maintain the existing concession would cost the BBC nearly £1billion by the end of the charter period, which would mean either huge programme cuts or increasing the licence fee for the under-75s to nearly £200.”

Yet just two years later, the Conservatives' 2017 election manifesto pledged to maintain the benefit for the rest of this Parliament – due to run until 2022.

Current Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright faced a huge backlash yesterday(TUES) when he was hauled into the Commons for a 72-minute mauling, 24 hours after the BBC announced free licences would be curbed.

Even usually-loyal Tories turned on the Cabinet Minister over the Government's betrayal.

Conservative MP Ed Vaizey was a Culture Minister from 2010 to 2016 when, he said, “the Treasury imposed the policy on the BBC to meet its £12billion welfare target”.

He told MPs the Government should "either take back this policy or support the BBC changes".

Backbench Tory William Wragg said: “The 2017 Conservative manifesto contained a number of interesting ideas, some of which it has been more convenient to forget from time to time.

“But in this instance it was quite categoric.”

He urged the Culture Secretary to “in some way, shape or form ensure that the over-75s maintain their free TV licences for the duration of this Parliament”.

Fellow Tory backbencher Martin Vickers said the Government was suggesting the “BBC – an outside organisation – has a veto over the Conservative Government delivering on their manifesto commitment”.

He urged ministers to “ensure the Government carries out its manifesto commitment”.

Conservative MP Philip Hollobone told the Culture Secretary: “Both you and I were elected on the Conservative manifesto which promised pensioners they would retain their free TV licences.

“We have already broken one huge manifesto commitment to leave the European Union on March 29 – I suggest we don't add to that list.”

The Mirror is campaigning to save free TV licences, with more than 18,000 readers backing the battle by completing coupons in the paper.

Royle Family actor Ricky Tomlinson and former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown have supported the fight.

More than 160,000 people have signed Age UK’s Switched Off petition calling for the licences to be preserved and the Government to take back responsibility for funding the perk.

Facing repeated calls to U-turn, squirming Mr Wright claimed yesterday(TUES): “This decision is not for the Government to make any longer, it is for the BBC to make.”

But the shameless hand-washing only triggered more angry questions over why the Tories issued their pledge in the 2017 election campaign.

Earlier, Veterans Minister Tobias Ellwood, a former Army officer, slammed his own Government for betraying pensioners.

“A week after D-Day commemorations these people are going to be facing these bills. I do hope we go back to the drawing board and think what more can we do to look after our veterans,” he told ITV's Good Morning Britain.

“Let’s look at this again. Let’s recognise the importance that these licence fees have for those, particularly veterans and why it’s so valued.”

He added: “Clearly there was an indication from Government that we had a commitment to make sure the licence fee remained free.”

Tory leadership hopeful Andrea Leadsom said the plan to charge over-75s was “unacceptable”.

She said: "It's a commitment in the Conservatives' manifesto and we need to find a way to reverse that."

Furious Labour MPs lined up to tear into hapless Mr Wright in a brutal Commons showdown.

Labour's Deputy Leader Tom Watson, the Shadow Culture Secretary, said voters had discovered “just how little a Tory manifesto promise is worth”.

He fumed: “No ifs, no buts, no wavering – a promise made in 2017 to voters by the Conservative Party.

“Today, 3.7 million over-75s find that promise in tatters. They have been betrayed, and it is shameful. The Government have the breathtaking gall to blame the BBC for this mess, but passing the buck will not work.

“The BBC is not the Department for Work and Pensions. Public broadcasters should never be responsible for social policy.”

Backbencher Wes Streeting, who sits on the Commons Treasury Committee, said: “Every single pensioner in the country will know that the Tories made a promise in their manifesto which they could not keep and never intended to keep.”

MP Julie Cooper said pensioners would wonder “how can they trust a word the Conservative Government say ever again”.

She added: “The Conservatives’ manifesto was very clear: they committed to protecting free TV licences for all over-75s.”

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