Employing serving MPs as presenters is ‘very concerning’, says Labour’s Powell

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The employment of serving MPs as presenters on different media channels is “very concerning”, shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell has said, adding that Ofcom “should be looking at these issues”. I think it’s really important that, in this era of dis- and misinformation, we need to know that we can trust our news channels and our news sources Shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell Ms Powell told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday: “Well, I think it’s very concerning. I think what is happening on some other channels in terms of that overall balance of opinion… “This issue has been raised with the chief exec of Ofcom, both by select committee, members of the select committee recently, and also it’s something that I’ve been raising in private as well, and Ofcom should be looking at these issues because they’re the licensing authority, they’re the regulatory authority. “I think it’s really important that, in this era of dis- and misinformation, we need to know that we can trust our news channels and our news sources, and it’s something that we are very proud of in this country because we do have a strong regulatory regime, and news channels and broadcasters are bound by those licensing conditions, which mean that they do have to provide balance and some impartiality, and I’m not sure that constantly ramming the airwaves of any one of those channels full of sitting Conservative MPs is necessarily the right way of dealing with that.” Ms Powell also cited the LBC presenting role of her shadow cabinet colleague, David Lammy.