Media watchdog dismisses investigation into Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Channel 4 ‘plant’ claim
The Party alleged that Channel 4 News employed an actor to sabotage its campaign; nevertheless, the broadcaster denies any involvement with the Reform canvasser.
Ofcom, the media watchdog, has decided not to investigate Channel 4 News following Nigel Farage’s Reform UK’s accusation that they used an actor as a “plant” in an undercover expose on his campaign.
After Channel 4 News’s program titled “Undercover inside Reform’s campaign” received over 270 complaints, Ofcom conducted an assessment. The channel has refuted any knowledge or payment to Andrew Parker, who appeared in the program and used a derogatory term to describe Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
A Plant
Ofcom conducted an urgent evaluation of the complaint, stating, “Given the election period, we have urgently assessed them against the due accuracy, due impartiality, and offence rules under the Broadcasting Code.” Ofcom concluded that the complaints did not warrant further investigation.
Reform’s party secretary, Adam Richardson, alleged in a letter to the Electoral Commission that it was clear that Mr. Parker was planted within the Channel 4 news segment.
Regarding the incident, Mr. Parker has apologized for his remarks but claims he was provoked. He mentioned he is “glad” that Channel 4 is being reported to the Electoral Commission, though he did not confirm if he was compensated for his appearance. He stated, “It’ll all come out in the papers, what’ll come out is the truth.”
Continue to Refute Any Claims
A spokesperson for Channel 4 News stated, “Since this report aired, Channel 4 News has strongly stood up for its accurate, rigorous, and duly impartial reporting, which speaks for itself. Ofcom’s decision underscores the integrity of Channel 4 News’s journalism and high editorial standards.”
The spokesperson continued, “The program will continue to reject any claims that we, or the production company we collaborated with, were aware of or compensated the Reform UK canvasser, Mr. Andrew Parker. We first met Mr. Parker at Reform UK’s campaign headquarters in Clacton, where he was secretly filmed as part of the undercover investigation.”
The Epoch Times reached out to Reform for comment. PA Media contributed to this report.
