Lib Dems launch “Balance the BBC” petition to address “wall to wall” Reform coverage
EMBARGO: 20:00 Monday 8th September 2025
The party has written to Ofcom to demand new requirements for fair political coverage on the public service broadcaster.
The Liberal Democrats have launched a new campaign today that aims to “Balance the BBC” following the public service broadcaster’s months of “wall-to-wall” coverage of Nigel Farage’s outfit Reform UK.
The party has raised serious concerns that the BBC is “following Farage around like a lost puppy” and that “wall-to-wall” Reform coverage is fanning the flames of a “dangerous populism” parroted by Farage and borrowed from Donald Trump.
The petition, which calls to “Balance the BBC”, cites the broadcaster’s substantive efforts to carry Reform voices on their most prominent news programmes. The BBC carried footage of Farage reacting to the Government’s migrant deal with France from GB News on their flagship 6 O’Clock programme – clipping from a rival broadcaster in order to carry Reform’s commentary. Farage’s recent press conference, where he announced his immigration policy, ran all day on the BBC’s home and politics pages – a favour rarely afforded to other political leaders.
The party has opened a petition demanding that the BBC be forced to commit to proportional coverage of political parties year-round. Currently broadcasters are only required to give proportionate weighting to parties based on their parliamentary heft during the regulated period, which operates during election periods.
The party’s Culture and Media spokesman Max Wilkinson has written to Ofcom director Melanie Dawes to urge her to consider the proposals – accusing the BBC of compromising on its chartered commitment to impartiality.
The move comes as the BBC boss Tim Davie is set to face a grilling by MPs as he and senior leadership at the broadcaster are hauled before the DCMS Select Committee.
Max Wilkinson MP, Liberal Democrat Culture, Media and Sport Spokesperson, said:
“The BBC’s decisions are compounding the rise of a dangerous populism that threatens the fabric of our country.
“The BBC is following Farage around like a lost puppy and the resulting wall-to-wall coverage is giving legitimacy to a man who wants to do to Britain what Trump is doing to America.
“The only way to counter Farage’s hateful and divisive politics is with fair and representative journalism that makes space for more decent voices – and for that we need a balanced BBC.”
ENDS
Notes to Editor:
Please see link to the petition here: libdems.org.uk/bbc. Note that the link will go live at 19:30 GMT, Monday, 8 September 2025.
Section Five of the Ofcom guidance applies throughout the year. Eligible broadcasters must:
“… not give undue prominence to the views and opinions of particular persons or bodies on matters of political or industrial controversy and matters relating to current public policy in all the programmes included in any service (listed above) taken as a whole.” (Source).
Section Six of the Ofcom guidance applies during Election and referendum periods:
… Due weight must be given to the coverage of parties and independent candidates during the election period. In determining the appropriate level of coverage to be given to parties and independent candidates broadcasters must take into account evidence of past electoral support and/or current support. Broadcasters must also consider giving appropriate coverage to parties and independent candidates with significant views and perspectives.” (Source).
The Liberal Democrats are proposing to apply Section Six throughout the year – so that political parties are accorded ‘due weight’ in non-electoral cycles as well as election campaigns. This change would aim to limit the disproportionate coverage of Reform UK currently apportioned by the BBC.
Please see the full text of Max Wilkinson MP’s letter below:
Dear Melanie Dawes,
I’m writing to you to urge you to review whether the high volume of coverage of Reform UK by the BBC is in line with broadcast guidance.
The BBC is an important part of our national story. Research carried out this May revealed what many of us know instinctively: that the BBC is the most respected broadcaster in the world – ranking first across the globe for trust, reliability and independence. Its mission is to act in the public interest. The corporation is governed by Royal Charter.
By paying such disproportionate attention to Nigel Farage’s latest outfit, Reform UK, the BBC is compromising its reputation. To many licence fee payers, the broadcaster gives the impression that hangs on every word uttered by Nigel Farage, despite his party’s scant representation in Parliament. Most recently, we have seen Reform enact bans on journalism and spread dangerous untruths at its autumn conference, linking Covid vaccination jabs to cancer.
The coverage of my party, the Liberal Democrats, has been disproportionately low. The broadcaster’s online platform, BBC Online, mentions Nigel Farage three times as frequently as it does Ed Davey. In Parliament the Liberal Democrats represent eighteen times as many constituencies as Reform UK.
This discrepancy does real damage to the BBC’s reputation as a fair, independent broadcaster and its ability to abide by its own charter. By giving Reform lift and airtime that is denied to other parties, the BBC assists Reform’s poll rating – an interference in politics that goes against its chartered responsibility.
This country deserves fair, proportional and balanced journalism. Currently the BBC is required by its regulator to deliver this in the regulated period: the election seasons where state broadcasters are required to give proportionate coverage to political parties, based on their parliamentary heft. Our petition sets out proposals for an extension of this regulation, to year-round – a plan that would give the electorate the respect it deserves by consistently providing fair coverage across the political spectrum.
I urge you to consider our proposal.
Yours sincerely
Max Wilkinson MP
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport
