GB News must drop Farage and Rees-Mogg for election if they stand, Ofcom says
GB News star presenters Nigel Farage, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and Lee Anderson must step back from their shows if they stand as candidates at the general election, the broadcasting watchdog has said.
The right-wing channel has converted frontline politicians into presenters with former Cabinet minister Sir Jacob paid £350,000 a-year for his evening show.
GB News believes next year’s election will be a ratings-winner, with the channel building an audience among English “Red Wall” towns which could have a decisive influence on the result.
Yet the channel must do so without several of its biggest-name presenters, if they choose running for parliament over their lucrative TV careers.
Adam Baxter, director of broadcasting standards at media regulator Ofcom, told i: “The rules are very clear. Candidates in UK elections must not act as news presenters, interviewers or presenters of any type of programme during the election period.”
Mr Baxter added: “They can’t present cookery or gardening programmes either. It’s because we recognise that presenting even a non-political show would give you a platform over other candidates.”
However, GB News will be able to call on its star signing for 2024, Boris Johnson, since the former prime minister is not standing in the polls.
Mr Johnson is joining the channel as a presenter and political commentator and his charismatic on-screen presence could give the Conservatives a boost.
But he has promised to offer “frank opinions” to viewers and could deliver critical commentary during the election if the Conservatives’ campaign falters.
Sir Jacob and Conservative Party deputy chair Lee Anderson, who gets £100,000 a year from the channel, have already confirmed they will stand at the election.
Mr Farage’s Reform UK party, which replaced the Brexit Party, has said it will stand in Conservative-held seats at the election. Mr Farage has yet to reveal whether he will capitalise on the publicity surrounding his I’m a Celebrity appearance by standing in a constituency.
If he did run for parliament, Mr Farage could still make regular appearances on GB News being interviewed as a national “leadership figure” for Reform UK, provided those appearances did not breach due impartiality rules.
GB News’ other political presenters include Philip Davies, Tory MP for Shipley, whose wife Esther McVey quit their joint show after being appointed to the Cabinet last month. Reform UK leader Richard Tice, who presented Mr Farage’s show whilst he was in the jungle, may also stand in a seat.
Ofcom’s election rules will apply for the four-to-six week period between Rishi Sunak announcing the dissolution of Parliament and polling day.
GB News, which has several months to draw up an alternative schedule for the election period, said it will comply with the Ofcom prohibitions. A spokesperson said: “The rules on purdah are very clear for all broadcasters.”
Next year’s poll will be the first general election since the arrival of the opinion-led channels GB News and TalkTV, which have pushed the boundaries of current broadcasting rules.
Mr Baxter said: “The new channels are staffed by a lot of experienced journalists who are aware of the compliance rules so we don’t anticipate any particular problems at the election.”
Ofcom is reviewing its rules surrounding politicians presenting news programmes, which were drawn up before the arrival of GB News and TalkTV, which gave Nadine Dorries her own show when she was still an MP.
Earlier this year Ofcom found that a GB News interview conducted by Mr Davies and Ms McVey with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt breached impartiality rules, by failing to present a wide range of views.
