Complaint
A viewer complained that the audience for this edition of the programme was weighted against Reform UK. The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the 麻豆社鈥檚 editorial standards of impartiality.
Outcome
The complainant based his view on his observation that, while contributions by Conservative and Labour panellists were greeted by 鈥渁 ripple of applause鈥 and those by Liberal Democrat and Green panellists by 鈥渞apturous applause鈥, the Reform panellist鈥檚 contributions were followed by silence. The ECU established that the audience had been selected according to the usual criteria for editions dealing with a single issue (in this instance, immigration), which include appropriate representation for supporters of significant political parties. The complainant鈥檚 description did not accurately characterise the entirety of the programme, but the ECU considered the more important point to be that the audience鈥檚 reaction to the panellist鈥檚 contributions is not within the programme-makers鈥 control and cannot be taken as an indicator of its political makeup. In any event, it was clear from the audience鈥檚 contributions that there was substantial support for Reform鈥檚 position on immigration.
Not upheld