Ofcom has published updated guidance on politicians presenting the news, following a consultation earlier this year (on which we commented here).

The consultation was prompted by the High Court decision in GB News v Ofcom [2025] EWHC 460 (Admin), which held that a programme cannot be a news programme and current affairs programme at the same time. As such, the prohibition in Rule 5.3 of the Ofcom Broadcasting Code on politicians acting as news readers, interviews or reporters only applied to news programmes.

In response to the judgment, Ofcom proposed a change of Rule 5.3 so that it covered any type of programme, and invited views on this proposal.

According to Ofcom, the responses to its consultation were ‘polarised’. However, there was a high level of consensus amongst broadcasters that any change to Rule 5.3 would “introduce significant practical challenges and operational uncertainty for broadcasters, [and] would inadvertently result in a de facto ban on politicians presenting any kind of programmes”.

As a result, Ofcom has decided that Rule 5.3 will remain unchanged, but that instead its guidance on Rules 5.1 and 5.3 will be updated. In particular, the new guidance to Rule 5.1 makes it clear that if an MP presents a non-news programme, their status as an MP would likely be a relevant factor in considering if the news was presented with due impartiality. Similarly, Ofcom will consider other factors such as the nature and subject of the story in question, and whether the MP has a particular position on the issue discussed.

As for Rule 5.3, the guidance has been amended to define the exceptional circumstances in which a politician may be used as a newsreader, interviewer or reporter in any news programme as being those which cannot be controlled or foreseen by the broadcaster. Such situations are expected be rare, and appropriate contingency arrangements should be put in place to avoid them.

Finally, the guidance updates the definition of ‘politician’ to include members of the House of Lords and representatives of political parties.

To read more, click here.