[1andrew1]

Not a hard decision really - two Conservative MPs interviewing their own chancellor about the mini budget can hardly be considered impartial!

An Ofcom investigation has today concluded that an episode of Saturday Morning with Esther and Phil, which aired on GB News on 11 March 2023, breached due impartiality rules.

Our decision
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 Rules 5.11 and 5.12.

Having carefully considered the programme’s content and format, our investigation determined that there were three clearly separate and standalone news bulletins presented by a news anchor. The content presented on this day by Ms McVey and Mr Davies constituted current affairs. We therefore considered that Rule 5.3 of the Code, which relates to politicians presenting news programmes, was not engaged in this particular case.

This is the third breach of our broadcasting rules recorded against GB News since it launched in June 2021.

We have six further investigations open into the channel’s compliance with our due impartiality rules. We are working to conclude these investigations as swiftly as possible in accordance with our published procedures.

We also have two open investigations into other channels’ compliance with our due impartiality rules (Talk TV and Greatest Hits Radio).

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre...rtiality-rules