Laurence Fox‘s GB News show, in which stand-in presenter Martin Daubney interviewed Reform Party leader Richard Tice about the hot-button small boats issue, has become the latest to be found in breach by Ofcom.
The regulator has rapped GB News once again for “due impartiality” issues, following an interview between Daubney and Tice that was deemed to be “insufficiently challenged,” with the “limited alternative views presented dismissed,” according to today’s ruling.
During the program, right-wing commentator Daubney, standing in for Fox, gave his views on the topic of immigration and asylum policy, in the context of controversy over small boats crossing the English Channel. He also interviewed the leader of the Reform Party, Tice, which was flagged up by complainants to Ofcom.
“We considered that immigration and asylum policy constituted a matter of major political controversy and a major matter relating to current public policy,” Ofcom said. “When dealing with major matters, all Ofcom licensees must comply with the heightened special impartiality requirements in the Code.”
As with many current Ofcom investigations into GB News, the network was found in breach of rules 5.11 and 5.12 of its code, which look to balance freedom of expression with due impartiality. The regulator has, however, decided against investigating Conservative Party Vice-Chair Lee Anderson’s interview with Home Secretary Suella Braverman, saying that it was “satisfied this was a current affairs programme” and that due impartiality was met.
Ofcom has another 12 GB News investigations open, most of which concern due impartiality, and Fox’s show is the fourth to be rapped this year.
While Fox wasn’t actually presenting the show, he is the subject of the most high-profile of these investigations, which is looking into his interview with Dan Wootton in which he denigrated a female journalist by saying that no “self-respecting man” would “climb into bed” with her. That incident is Ofcom’s most complained about show of this year so far.
Earlier this month, GB News fired Fox following his behavior on Wootton’s show, and he was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to commit criminal damage to controversial low-emission zone cameras in London shortly afterwards.
Fellow GB News presenter Calvin Robinson has also lost his job after declaring his support for Wootton, who remains off air while he is being investigated by the news network