Complaint
A listener complained the main news bulletins during the programme failed to reflect reaction from Reform UK to the previous night’s Prime Ministerial debate between Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer. The ECU considered whether this was a breach of the BBC’s obligations in relation to due impartiality during an election campaign.
Outcome
The focus of the coverage that morning was a review of the previous evening’s debate. Comment from other parties, such as the Liberal Democrats and Greens, was limited to a few brief lines. In the ECU’s view the explanation offered by BBC News, that no formal comment had been offered by Reform UK, was a reasonable one. There is no obligation on any political party to offer a commentary on a debate involving rival politicians, nor can the BBC insist on one. Neither the Guidelines on impartiality nor the more specific Election Guidelines require exact parity between the parties on every occasion.
Not Upheld