GB News breached impartiality rules when stand-in host Martin Daubney gave his views on immigration and ‘didn’t sufficiently challenge’ Reform Party leader Richard Tice, Ofcom rules
- Ofcom has ruled GB News breached impartiality rules
- Martin Daubney shared his views on immigration during a broadcast on June 16
TV channel GB News is in hot water after Ofcom ruled it breached impartiality rules during a programme presented by former Brexit Party MEP Martin Daubney, who was standing in for Laurence Fox.
During the broadcast on Friday June 16, Daubney shared his views on immigration and asylum policy in the context of controversy over small boats crossing the English Channel, and also interviewed the leader of the Reform Party, Richard Tice.
On Monday UK media regulator Ofcom said the programme did not meet the ‘heightened impartiality requirements’, which apply to programmes discussing ‘matters of major political controversy and current public policy’.
It said Mr Tice presented his views on the programme ‘with insufficient challenge’ and the ‘limited alternative views presented in the programme were dismissed’.
Ofcom said: ‘The programme therefore did not include and give due weight to an appropriately wide range of significant views, as required by the Code.
‘GB News accepted that the content was not compliant with the heightened special impartiality requirements in the Code.’
It added: ‘We expect GB News to take careful account of this decision in its compliance of future programming.’
During the broadcast on June 16, former Brexit Party MEP Martin Daubney (pictured) gave his views on immigration and asylum policy in the context of controversy over small boats crossing the English Channel, and also interviewed the leader of the Reform Party, Richard Tice
On Monday UK media regulator Ofcom said the programme did not meet the ‘heightened impartiality requirements’, which apply to programmes discussing ‘matters of major political controversy and current public policy’
During the broadcast Daubney said, ‘It’s time to close borders and make Britain safe again’ and also described Rishi Sunak as ‘spineless’
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A statement from GB News said: ‘We accept Ofcom’s finding and agree that our programme did not meet the due impartiality guidelines that our production team had planned.
‘Our intent was for Mr Daubney to provide challenging questioning to Mr Tice. Mr Daubney talked of the need for balance and raised the views of people who might object to the strong measures Mr Tice was proposing.
‘However, we accept this did not go far enough to meet Ofcom’s guidelines or our own policies and Editorial Charter.
‘We apologise for this breach of the Code.’
Daubney, who was also deputy leader of the Reclaim Party, was standing in for presenter Fox, who has since been dismissed following comments he made on air about a female journalist.
The actor-turned-politician made a series of personal remarks about political correspondent Ava Evans, including asking ‘Who would want to s*** that?’, on the Dan Wootton Tonight programme on September 26.
Fox, who apologised following the incident, was sacked by GB News, while an internal investigation into Wootton continues.
Ofcom added that it has ’12 further investigations open into GB News, which we are working to conclude as quickly as possible’.
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