A contentious news channel, GB News, has been barred from airing in the Welsh Parliament.
It is no longer permitted to be displayed on any of the TVs placed exclusively along the interior walls of the Senedd building because it is seen as been “contrary to the parliaments values”.
A spokesperson for the Llywydd of the Parliament, Elin Jones, stated: “GB News has been removed from the Senedd’s internal television system following a recent broadcast that was deliberately offensive, demeaning to public debate and contrary to our parliament’s values. There are now several ongoing Ofcom investigations into the channel.
“The Commission will discuss the issue at a future meeting, and staff and Members who wish to view GB News will still be able to do so online in the Senedd.”
GB News frequently features appearances by the Welsh Conservative opposition leader, Andrew RT Davies. During his appearances on the channel, he has made inaccurate statements, such as falsely implying that the Welsh Government was providing £1,600 to asylum seekers who ‘rock up and claim they are crossing the Channel illegally.’
Mr. Davies is presently under investigation by the standards commissioner due to these remarks.
In March, Labour MS Jenny Rathbone urged the Llywydd to implement this action. She made the following statement in the parliamentary chamber: “On a wider issue, GB News, which has been found in breach of Ofcom guidelines around Covid vaccines, has many items broadcasting disinformation or hateful views, and it’s currently broadcast on our internal televisions. I just wondered if any thought had been given to whether it was appropriate for an organisation that might continue to disseminate disinformation to be broadcast through our systems to our staff and members.”
Ms Jones said at the time that she hadn’t considered banning the station. “Coming on to your second point, it’s something that I haven’t given any thought to at all. I’ll need to take away the issue that you’ve raised about GB News as a news channel—I think it’s a news channel—that is transmitted within the Senedd. I make no comment at all on it, actually, because I’ve given it no thought at all, but I will since it’s been raised by you.”
