Ofcom’s chief executive has said there is nothing under current rules to stop GB News using the Conservative MP Lee Anderson to interview the Tory home secretary, Suella Braverman.
Melanie Dawes said she did not want to pre-judge the interview, which will be broadcast on Friday night, because the media regulator was “not a censor”. She said Ofcom defended “freedom of expression” but would consider any complaints about the programme after it aired.
Anderson, who is the deputy chair of the Tory party, makes £100,000 a year from his second job presenting a show on the rightwing GB News channel. He trailed the interview with his Conservative parliamentary colleague as an “exclusive scoop” and her “first interview on British soil since her landmark speech this week in the US”.
The broadcasting code, which Ofcom enforces, states: “No politician may be used as a newsreader, interviewer or reporter in any news programmes unless, exceptionally, it is editorially justified.”
Ofcom’s rules draw a distinction between news and current affairs broadcasting, enabling politicians to host programming that potentially produces news as long as it does not adopt the style of a news bulletin.
Dawes told the Guardian: “We’ll have to see what the programme looks like. If it’s a current affairs show and isn’t about presenting that day’s news in the usual news format then it is possible for politicians to present current affairs programmes.”
She said concerns about serving politicians hosting programmes on news channels were a “very live issue” and Ofcom had commissioned research to see how the public feel about this issue.
Last week Ofcom found GB News broke impartiality rules when the husband and wife Tory MPs Esther McVey and Philip Davies interviewed the Conservative chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, in March. The breach was because they failed to include a wide enough range of viewpoints, rather than because of the choice of hosts.
Asked whether the broadcasting code was fit for purpose, Dawes said: “The rules are flexible, they require us to prioritise freedom of expression, which is missing a bit in this conversation, and we feel we’ve got plenty of flexibility.”
Ofcom is under substantial pressure over its approach to GB News, which is the subject of 12 separate investigations for potential breaches of the broadcasting code. On Thursday, the regulator announced a fresh investigation into misogynistic comments made by the presenter Laurence Fox on Dan Wootton’s GB News show, which have led to the suspension of both men by the station.
Asked what reward a broadcaster received for following the rules, Dawes said: “What you get is that you’re contributing to the fantastic media landscape in this country. We’re lucky to have a diverse range of broadcasters in this country. The public’s trust in TV news is higher than any other form of media. That reflects the consistent high set of standards.”
She said the investigation into Fox’s comments would be carried out as fast as possible but GB News had to have its say. “Sometimes it takes a little longer than people might hope for, but no one wants a regulator that shoots from the hip,” Dawes said. She insisted Ofcom would consider financial penalties if appropriate.
Earlier, Rishi Sunak expressed his “total support” for Anderson’s joint roles as Tory deputy chair and GB News presenter.
Last week Anderson was found to have broken parliamentary rules by filming a promotional clip for his GB News programme from the roof of the House of Commons. Sunak said there were rules in parliament to ensure that “MPs are focused on their constituents and that we regulate exactly what they’re doing”, and added: “Lee’s also doing a fantastic job representing his constituency.”
