Reform UK leader Nigel Farage faces being kicked off the GB News show he has presented since 2021 after MPs complained to Labour Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. She said the Government “intend to act” to end the “dangerous” blurring between news and “political polemic” on some TV channels. And she gave Mr Farage’s show, broadcast four nights a week, as the prime example.
Ms Nandy said watchdog Ofcom “is currently consulting on tightening the rules around politicians presenting news programmes and news in any format. And that is something that we as a government strongly support. We will look at what Ofcom present to us but it is an area in which we intend to act.”
She added: “I’ve had particular concerns raised with me by Parliamentarians about the appearance of Nigel Farage presenting news programmes on GB News.
“I think that is a fair criticism from Members of Parliament of all political parties, because the public have a right to know if what they are seeing is news, and is impartial or is not.
“And one of the challenges that then creates for public service broadcasters is that people lose trust in the news altogether. That is then a challenge for the whole country.”
The Culture Secretary said: “At the moment that situation is currently completely unsatisfactory and there has been a blurring of political polemic that is presented as news.”
Reform UK remains far ahead of other parties in opinion polls, with YouGov finding 27% of voters would back Reform if an election was held tomorrow, with 21% saying they would vote Labour and 17% planning to vote Conservative. Some MPs have complained that Mr Farage’s GB News platform show him a platform that is denied to other parties, and it is now clear that they have raised concerns directly with the Culture Secretary.
Ms Nandy said the news industry was “fracturing” with people getting information from different places.
In comments to the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Ms Nandy added: “I think that is a very dangerous position for a country to be in, and it’s something we intend to robustly defend, is the impartiality of our news.
“It’s not for the government ever to to stray into determining who can be featured on our broadcast media and what is discussed. That is entirely a question for broadcasters, whether it is GB News, the BBC or others … but it is right and proper that as a government we ensure we have a proper framework, so that viewers are empowered to understand if what they are seeing is news or if what they are seeing is political polemic presented as news.”
GB News CEO Angelos Frangopoulos said: “The Culture Secretary is clearly either mistaken or misinformed about the nature of GB News programming.
“GB News has never and does not use politicians to present news programmes. Politicians can present current affairs programmes and, where that is the case, we (unlike others) always include different perspectives from across the political spectrum.
“We are entitled to do this under Ofcom rules: our recent success over Ofcom in the High Court has confirmed our approach is lawful and correct.
“It is therefore entirely wrong for the Secretary of State to suggest that GB News observes different standards to other broadcasters.
“In fact, it is GB News that is leading the way in serving the people of Britain with journalism which represents unheard voices from across the country.
“That is why GB News is Britain’s Number One News Channel.”
Mr Farage was paid £313,343 for his GB News appearances between September 2024 and May 2025, according to his entries in the Commons Register of Members’ Interests.
It is broadcast four days a week at 7am.
Earlier this year, GB News overtook the BBC as Britain’s most watched news channel for the first time, with Mr Farage’s show seen as a key factor in its success.
