As Ofcom announced its eye-catching new consultation into the use of politicians as TV presenters, Guido suspects one former Labour Cabinet Minister (turned GMB anchor), Ed Balls, slept soundly. Tucked up next to the, uhh, Home Secretary…
Ofcom chose not to investigate Ed’s soft-ball(s) interview with his wife back in August of last year, despite receiving a whopping 16,000 complaints from members of the public. The regulator thought that a former Labour minister interviewing his wife – a serving Labour Home Secretary – was not a breach of impartiality…
As Ofcom has a statutory obligation to have due regard to maintaining “proportionate and consistent” regulatory activities, Guido has taken a look at programmes the regulator did deem worthy of investigation for lack of impartiality:
The pressure on Ofcom’s two-tier approach is only mounting. No wonder Brits are turning to different formats..
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”