Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has launched four more impartiality investigations into GB News, with three of those complaints focused on shows fronted by Tory MPs. The four new complaints relate to:
- Two episodes of Friday Morning with Esther and Phil (Esther McVey and Philip Davies)
- An episode State of the Nation (Jacob Rees-Mogg)
- An episode of the Laurence Fox show (guest presented by Martin Daubney)
McVey, Davies and Rees-Mogg are being investigated for potential breaches of Broadcasting Code Rule 5.3, which “prevents politicians from acting as a newsreader, interviewer or reporter in any news programmes unless, exceptionally, it is editorially justified.” McVey and Davies are under the microscope for a programme which aired in May, during which they discussed the story of a teen sentenced for terrorism offences, along with their cosy interview with Jeremy Hunt. Rees-Mogg’s show is being probed for discussing a stabbing attack in Nottingham. The programme is already under investigation after its star presenter read out a breaking news line about Donald Trump on 9th May. Ofcom rules demand a ‘clear distinction’ between newsreaders and opinion presenters…
Martin Daubney has upset the regulators by potentially failing to uphold due impartiality while discussing immigration with Reform Party leader Richard Tice. Daubney was deputising for Laurence Fox. The channel is also facing an ongoing investigation into its Don’t Kill Cash campaign which, as Guido has already reported, is also receiving lots of complaints from politically motivated people with an axe to grind…
Hat-tip: Press Gazette
Esther McVey has stepped down as chair of the Blue Collar Conservatives, ten years after setting it up with Philip Davis and Clark Vasey. The reins have been handed to co-conspirator favourite – and undeniably blue collar – Lee Anderson. Lee announced the move a few days ago on Facebook. His announcement post also revealed he was offered a job in Liz’s government, though turned it down as “being in [government] is not for me.”
Esther tells Guido she thought “it was time that I handed over the reins to someone else.”
“The genesis of it was that we could see most Labour MPs wouldn’t recognise a member of the working classes if they tripped over one and that actually those working class voters had more in common with Conservative Party values than the Labour Party – something that came to fruition at the last election with Boris.”
She praises Lee Anderson as a real-life example of the working class journey from Labour to Conservative, and therefore the “ideal person to ensure we retain those Blue Collar voters at the next election”. Lee’s wasting no time in the role and has already announced their latest campaign: pushing for life skills such as cooking to be mandatory lessons in school. What else…
Tory power couple MPs Esther McVey and Philip Davies managed to secure a sit-down interview with the PM, set to be broadcast in full during their show tomorrow, in which the PM says he cannot rule out another lockdown. Guido reckons the PM can announce whatever he likes, the public has declared the pandemic over and after Partygate may no longer listen to new rules…
“I want to avoid any such thing happening again, and I can’t rule out some, Esther, I can’t say we wouldn’t be forced to do non-pharmaceutical interventions again of the kind we did.
I think it would be irresponsible of any leader in any democracy to say they’re going to rule out something that would save lives… there could be a new variant – more deadly – there could be a variant that affects children badly that we really need to contain, I’m not going to take any options off the table.”
The interview is a real coup for McVey, who both managed to secure an interview with the PM and avoided doxxing his mobile phone number…
The Mirror’s Mikey Smith has recently been on a one-man crusade to call out GB News’ weekend show offering, which unlike any other news channel now has two married Tory MPs – Esther McVey and Phillip Davies – interviewing Tory ministers. Mikey argues this undermines the channel’s anti-establishment nature…
Since this criticism, it seems Esther McVey has gone out of her way to try and maximise scrutiny of government ministers. Taking to Instagram yesterday, the former minister posted a photo of the show’s running order. Accidentally doxxing the Health Secretary and his SpAd in the process…
Say what you like about GB News, Sophy Ridge would never provide such explosive access to Whitehall secrets…
The relatively new “Common Sense” group of Tory MPs had a joint reception with Esther McVey’s Blue Collar Conservative group at conference last night, in a room so small, hot and cramped that if attendees didn’t have Covid beforehand they almost certainly will now. Partygoers were treated to a panoply of speeches, from the Common Sense chair and vice-chair Sir John Hayes and Tom Hunt, Express Editor Gary Jones, Attorney General Suella Braverman and Esther McVey herself. Thankfully Guido had positioned himself by the bar before the procession of common sense champions began their speaking relay race…
Among the usual no-nonsense, common-sense platitudes, Esther pricked the room’s ears when name-dropping a recent meeting she’d had with the former head of MI6, Sir Richard Dearlove. She claims the ex-spook said he was “shocked” how easily in the last 18 months we gave up our freedom.
“He said he was shocked, and he lived behind the iron curtain in the cold war and he said they had not given up the freedoms that we had given up. So we must fight to get our party back on track”
McVey didn’t reveal the original reason for her meeting with Sir Richard – discussing the possibility of the first female Bond Guido wonders?
