Furious Lib Dems demand probe into BBC 'giving Nigel Farage and Reform UK too much coverage'
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A Reform UK spokesman told GB News: 'We can't help it if our leader is more interesting than theirs'
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The Liberal Democrats have written a furious letter to Ofcom demanding it investigates the BBC's "disproportionate" coverage of Nigel Farage and Reform UK.
Max Wilkinson MP, the party's Culture and Media spokesman, wrote to the regulator's chief executive Melanie Dawes, with the party sharing the letter across is social media platforms.
Mr Wilkinson fumed: "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.
The Liberal Democrats have written a furious letter to Ofcom to investigate the BBC's 'disproportionate' coverage of Nigel Farage and Reform UK
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"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 MP also complained to the regulator about his party's "disproportionately low" coverage from the BBC.
He added: "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 18 times as many constituencies as Reform UK."
At the General Election last summer, Reform took home 4,117,610 votes between 609 candidates and the Lib Dems received 3,519,143 for their 630 prospective MPs.
The MP also complained to the regulator about the Liberal Democrats' 'disproportionately low' coverage
| PADespite also having just under a third of the number of members that Mr Farage's party boasts, the Liberal Democrats have also launched a petition to "Balance the BBC".
The petition reads: "It's clear to everyone the BBC is giving Nigel Farage and Reform for too much coverage.
"Reform UK only have four of the 250 opposition MPs, but Nigel Farage accounts for 60 per cent of the BBC website's mentions of opposition leaders.
"The BBC should have to balance its political news so it doesn’t boost Nigel Farage’s dangerous, divisive politics.
"There are special Ofcom rules on balance at election time, these rules should apply all year round so people can trust the BBC"
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A spokesman for Reform UK told GB News: 'We can’t help it if our leader is more interesting than theirs'
| PAA spokesman for Reform UK then hit back, telling GB News: "We can’t help it if our leader is more interesting than theirs.”
Party leader Ed Davey claimed earlier this week that Mr Farage, along with the Conservatives, were to blame for the small boat crisis and called on them to apologise to those protesting outside asylum hotels.
Mr Davey said: "Nigel Farage, rather than posturing and stirring up division, should be apologising for causing this problem along with the Conservatives.
"I think Nigel Farage and the Conservatives should be apologising to those people protesting and saying sorry we caused it."
The Liberal Democrats were not alone in their Reform fury.
Corbynista ex-Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell likened Mr Farage to Adolf Hitler during an at event at the Trade Union Congress.
Mr McDonnell argued that Reform UK is "a protest fascist organisation", before he appeared to compare the party's stance on asylum seekers to that of the Nazis towards Jewish people during the 1930s.
However, the Socialist Campaign Group member later denied making the link, claiming he was instead “warning about the situation as it is and as it could be”.