Ofcom says GB News broke impartiality rules after chancellor interviewed by Tory MPs

‘Our investigation therefore concluded that GB News failed to represent and give due weight to an appropriately wide range of significant views’

Media watchdog Ofcom has found that GB News broke impartiality rules after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt was interviewed by fellow Tory MPs Esther McVey and Philip Davies, with the channel ‘failing to represent and give due weight to an appropriately wide range of significant views on a matter of major political controversy’.

Hunt was interviewed by McVey and her husband Davies on Saturday 11 March for their weekly show, with the episode being aired before the spring budget.

Ofcom said in a statement: “Given this programme featured two sitting MP presenters from one political party interviewing the chancellor of the same political party about a matter of major political controversy and current public policy, we consider, in these circumstances, that GB News should have taken additional steps to ensure that due impartiality was preserved.

“Our investigation therefore concluded that GB News failed to represent and give due weight to an appropriately wide range of significant views on a matter of major political controversy and current public policy within this programme, in breach of [the] rules.”

GB News is facing a number of investigations from Ofcom, as the right-wing channel tries to push the boundaries of British broadcasting rules. The channel has hired a number of Tory MPs as presenters, including Jacob Rees-Mogg as well as Lee Anderson MP.

Ofcom said it had received 40 complaints objecting to the former Conservative minister Jacob Rees-Mogg acting as a newsreader on a breaking news story after a jury found Donald Trump sexually abused a journalist.

British broadcasting rules ban serving politicians from acting as news presenters on television and radio stations, unless there are exceptional circumstances. However, politicians are allowed to host current affairs discussions.

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward

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