Tories gush over GB News at Conservative Conference, as Ofcom investigations continue
Tory figures show support for GB News despite Ofcom investigation. (GB News)
Tory figureheads were full of praise for GB News at this week’s conservative conference, despite Ofcom’s ongoing investigation into the controversial broadcaster.
Less than a week after presenter Dan Wootton and failed political candidate Laurence Fox were suspended from the news channel conservative political figures like Liz Truss and Priti Patel commended GB News for “broadcasting common sense” and defending “free speech”.
Former Prime Minister Truss used her platform at a fringe event at this week’s Tories conference in Manchester to extend her gratitude toward GB News journalist Liam Halligan.
“Thank you for your work on GB News. In my view we need more economics journalism,” she said.
“And we need more GB News. Challengingly orthodoxing, broadcasting common sense, and transforming our media landscape. So long may it continue.”
Later that evening, former Home Secretary Priti Patel commended GB News during the Conservative Democratic Organisation’s gala dinner, describing the broadcaster as the “newest, most successful, most dynamic, no-nonsense news station, and the defenders of free speech.”
She continued: “Thank you for everything that you do. Just incredible, honestly, just incredible.”
“This isn’t breaking news, but I think it’s fair to say that our country needed a new disruptor when it came to the broadcast media to take on the establishment, the Tory-hating, Brexit-bashing, free-speech deniers at the BBC and the so-called mainstream media.”
Truss and Patel’s praise for GB News is quite shocking considering it comes in the midst of Ofcom’s investigation of approximately 7,300 complaints over last Tuesday’s episode of Dan Wootton Tonight on GB News.
During the episode, Wootton’s guest Laurence Fox went on a deeply insulting tirade against political journalist Ava Evans, in which he asked what “self-respecting man” would “climb into bed” with her.
He went on to say that only a “cucked little incel” would sleep with the journalist.
In response all that Wootton could say between laughs and grins was that he’d like to add a “touch of balance” by paraphrasing a social media post of Evans’.
GB News condemned the comments, calling them “totally unacceptable”, and announced that they, too, would be conducting an investigation.
Shortly after a clip from the show went viral, GB News suspended Fox from appearing on the platform. Dan Wootton’s suspension from the network swiftly followed.
Wootton has also since been sacked from his role as a columnist for MailOnline.
After urging his GB News colleagues and followers to stand by Wootton, presenter Calvin Robinson announced that he, too had been suspended by the broadcaster.
Now, Ofcom is investigating the right-wing channel under Rule 2.3 of the Broadcasting Code, which states that, in applying generally accepted standards, broadcasters must ensure that material that may cause offence is justified by the context.
If GB News is found to be in breach of Ofcom’s rules, the media watchdog can impose sanctions on GB News, ranging from a hefty fine to a revocation of their broadcasting licence.
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