Ofcom has strengthened guidance concerning politicians presenting news shows after the UK media regulator lost a court battle with GB News earlier this year.

Under British broadcasting rules, politicians are not allowed to present news shows, but can host current affairs shows. Ofcom has announced that this will not change, but the regulator has updated guidance underpinning these rules following an industry consultation.

The updated guidance broadens the definition of a politician, expanding it to include members of the House of Lords, for example. The updates also make clear that, if an MP presented news in a non-news show, their status “would likely be a relevant factor” in considering whether “due impartiality was preserved in the programme as a whole.”

This latter point gestures

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