Rishi Sunak's 'People's Forum' on GB News broke impartiality rules, Ofcom finds

A GB News Q&A session involving Rishi Sunak broke broadcasting impartiality rules, Ofcom has found.

The communications watchdog has said it is “starting the process for consideration of a statutory sanction against GB News” after its finding. It launched an investigation after around 500 complaints were made about the news channel’s live Q&A with the Prime Minister on 12 February in County Durham.

Broadcasters have to remain impartial and have a “broad range of significant perspectives”, according to Ofcom rules. At the time, GB News claimed the questions had not been reviewed by the TV channel or Sunak’s team.

Ofcom said: “Given this represents a serious and repeated breach of these rules, we are now starting the process for consideration of a statutory sanction against GB News.”

The media watchdog also said: “We recognised that this programme would focus mainly on the Conservative Party’s policies and track record on a number of specific issues, meaning that Conservative viewpoints would be prevalent.

“We are clear that this, in and of itself, did not mean the programme could not comply with due impartiality rules under the code.

“It was incumbent on GB News, however, given the major matters under discussion, to ensure that an appropriately wide range of significant views was given due weight in the programme or in other clearly linked and timely programmes.”

A sanction could mean the channel being fined up to the maximum financial penalty of £250,000 or 5% of the broadcaster’s revenue, or having its licence shortened or revoked along with having to broadcast a correction or not to re-air the programme.

GB News, which calls itself the “people’s channel”, said the “independently selected group of undecided voters” questioned Sunak “robustly, intelligently and freely”. The channel also said the Ofcom ruling was a “watershed moment that should terrify anyone who believes, as we do, that the media’s role is to give a voice to the people of the United Kingdom”.

“We maintain that the programme was in line with the Broadcasting Code,” GB News also said. “Ofcom is obliged by law to uphold freedom of speech and not to interfere with the right of all news organisations to make their own editorial decisions within the law.”

Ofcom aims to finish its process within 60 working days and if the body takes a preliminary view on sanctions then GB News can make “written and oral representations”. In March, GB News was placed on notice that any repeated breaches of due impartiality rules “may result in the imposition of a statutory sanction”.