GB News ‘impartiality rules’ broken Ofcom finds

An Ofcom investigation has today concluded that an episode of Saturday Morning with Esther and Phil breached due impartiality rules.

The programme is a weekly two-hour discussion format presented by Esther McVey and Philip Davies, two sitting Conservative Party MPs. The episode in question aired on GB News on 11 March 2023.

This particular broadcast featured a pre-recorded interview between the two presenters and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt MP. The interview focused on the Government’s approach to economic and fiscal policies ahead of the Spring Budget, which was announced four days later.

The television regulator received 45 complaints from viewers who raised concerns that the programme had failed to preserve due impartiality.

Ofcom today noted that given the 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, they considered, in those circumstances, that GB News should have taken additional steps to ensure that due impartiality was preserved.

Ofcom:

“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.”