Complaint
The cross-party panel for this edition, aired on the eve of Andy Burnham taking office as Prime Minister, included the Reform UK Home Affairs Spokesman Zia Yusuf. A viewer complained Mr Yusuf was given a disproportionate amount of airtime without proper challenge and alleged that panellists had been told the questions in advance. The ECU assessed whether the programme met the requirements for impartiality set out in the BBC Editorial Guidelines.
Outcome
The ECU did not share the complainant’s impression that Mr Yusuf monopolised the discussion, or that his contribution accounted for half of the programme’s duration. It also found no evidence to support the suggestion that the questions had been supplied to the panellists in advance.
Not Upheld
