Complaint
A listener complained about the lack of reference to Nigel Farage’s media interests during coverage of the resignation of the BBC Director-General and its Head of News. The ECU considered whether the programme met the relevant BBC Guidelines on impartiality.
Outcome
Mr Farage was one of a number of party leaders quoted in a bulletin item about the BBC that morning. ECU considered the fact he was speaking in his role as leader of Reform UK and that the bulletin was reporting political reaction, not examining commercial competition in the media sector, meant there was no requirement for his business interests to be mentioned in order to maintain due impartiality.
Not Upheld