Media regulator Ofcom has launched a probe into Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg's GB News show after receiving complaints over an episode covering a court case involving Donald Trump. There were 40 complaints made over former Cabinet Minister acting as a newsreader during his State Of The Nation show on May 9.
Politicians are prevented from pretending to be newsreaders unless it is "editorially justified," according to the guidelines. The Ofcom investigation will involve seeing whether the programme abided by these rules when it reported on a civil trial verdict reached that day on the former US president.
The episode involves Sir Jacob reporting an update from the case to the audience. He then turned to his guests, who included former Ukip leader Nigel Farage, the Mirror reports.
An Ofcom spokesman said: "We are investigating whether this programme broke our rules, which prevent politicians from acting as newsreaders, unless exceptionally, it is editorially justified."
A number of top Tories host shows on GB News, including Deputy Chairman Lee Anderson. Esther McVey and Philip Davies, who host a programme together, are also being investigated by Ofcom over a potential impartiality breach.
The two senior Conservatives interviewed Chancellor Jeremy Hunt on March 11 on the channel, ahead of the Budget. Ofcom said it will also investigate an episode of Talk TV's Richard Tice presented by the leader of the Alba Party Alex Salmond on April 2.
Ofcom has said it received two complaints regarding the impartiality of the programme, specifically in relation to a discussion on whether the SNP was "holding back the course of independence".
