GB News ‘would welcome’ Labour MPS

GB NEWS would happily welcome Labour MPS as presenters but has been unable to convince them to say yes, the broadcaster’s boss has said.

Angelos Frangopoulos, chief executive of GB News, insisted it was “not by design” that the channel’s presenters were largely concentrated on the Right of politics.

He said: “We have been trying very hard to encourage members of other parties to come on board and present programmes.

“We would love to have a wide range of MPS on our channel in the same way that stations like LBC do… It’s an ongoing conversation, but it’s purely because we’ve yet to find someone to say yes.” GB News has come under fierce scrutiny for its use of politicians as presenters, which has fuelled concerns about impartiality.

Ofcom, the regulator, last week said it had put the channel “on notice” after it breached broadcasting rules in five programmes hosted by serving Tory MPS.

The watchdog said the shows, presented by Sir Jacob Rees-mogg, Esther Mcvey and her husband Philip Davies broke regulations that prevent politicians from delivering news bulletins.

GB News branded the decision “chilling” and accused Ofcom of trying to “extend” regulations.

But peers on the Lords Communications and Digital Committee grilled the broadcasting boss on the channel’s make-up of presenters, who also include Nigel Farage, one-time Brexit Party leader, and Lee Anderson, the former Tory MP who defected to Reform UK earlier this month.

Michael Portillo, the former Conservative MP, and Richard Tice, the Reform leader, also present shows on GB News.

Gloria de Piero, a former Labour MP, is the channel’s only host with a background on the Left of politics.

Mr Frangopoulos said GB News had held discussions with other parties but had failed to drum up interest. He added that some MPS were being discouraged from taking second jobs. The GB News boss said his channel had become the “voice of mainstream Britain”.