Ofcom says it won't investigate Channel 4 after Nigel Farage's Reform UK accused the broadcaster of 'electoral interference' and using an actor as a 'plant' during an undercover sting
Ofcom will not investigate Channel 4 News after Nigel Farage and Reform UK claimed the broadcaster used an actor as a 'plant' in its undercover investigation into his campaign.
The UK watchdog said it had received more than 270 complaints about Channel 4 News's programme titled Undercover Inside Reform's campaign, which saw a canvasser named Andrew Parker filmed using a racial slur to describe Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
After the expose aired, Reform's party secretary, Adam Richardson, said in a letter to the Electoral Commission that it was 'entirely evident that Mr Parker was a plant within the Channel 4 news piece', adding that the broadcast 'cannot be described as anything short of election interference'.
But on Wednesday, Ofcom said after 'urgently' assessing the complaints against the due accuracy, due impartiality and offence rules under the Broadcasting Code, 'we have concluded that they do not raise substantive issues warranting further investigation'.
A spokesperson for Channel 4 News said: 'Since this report aired, Channel 4 News has strongly stood up for its accurate, rigorous and duly impartial reporting, which speaks for itself.'
Ofcom will not investigate Channel 4 News after Nigel Farage and Reform UK claimed the broadcaster used an actor as a 'plant' in its undercover investigation into his campaign
The UK watchdog said it had received more than 270 complaints about Channel 4 News's programme titled Undercover Inside Reform's campaign, which saw a canvasser named Andrew Parker (pictured) filmed using a racial slur to describe Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
The row with Channel 4 stems from an undercover report on activists involved in Mr Farage's bid to win a Westminster seat at the eighth attempt.
Channel 4's statement continued: 'Ofcom's decision underscores the integrity of Channel 4 News's journalism and high editorial standards.
'The programme will continue to refute any claims that we - or the production company we worked with - knew or paid the Reform UK canvasser, Mr Andrew Parker.
'We met Mr Parker for the first time at Reform UK's campaign headquarters in Clacton, and he was filmed secretly via the undercover investigation.'
The footage showed Mr Parker using the racist term about Mr Sunak and suggesting migrants should be used as 'target practice'.
Another canvasser described the Pride flag as 'degenerate' and suggested members of the LGBT community are paedophiles.
It comes as Mr Farage is embroiled in a dispute with the BBC, claiming the audience for Friday's Question Time special was 'rigged' and refusing to appear on the flagship Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg show unless the corporation apologises.
He said audience members 'were not ordinary members of the public', adding: 'They hand-picked a prominent pro-Palestine activist & even a BBC TV director to attack me.'
Having taken part in a protest does not rule someone out from applying to be in the audience. It is understood that there were no BBC staff members in the audience.
A BBC spokesperson said: 'We refute these claims. Last night's Question Time audience was made up of broadly similar levels of representation from Reform UK and the Green Party, with the other parties represented too.
'There were also a number of people, with a range of political views, who were still making up their mind.'
Reform UK co-deputy leader Ben Habib distanced himself from Andrew Parker's comments about the Prime Minister.
He said Andrew Parker, who was filmed using a racial slur to describe Rishi Sunak, is a 'disgusting human being'.
Habib said he would 'absolutely abhor any racism' in the party and suggested that Mr Parker portrayed himself as a 'gammon' character in the Channel 4 footage which was recorded by an undercover journalist.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's PM programme, he said: '(Mr Parker) is a disgusting human being if he stands by what he said, absolutely foul language, unacceptable behaviour, unacceptable sentiments.
'And we have made a complaint to the Electoral Commission and we will get to the bottom of that.
'It is a coincidence I think which does beg a lot of questions that he is an actor, that he used a voice when he was canvassing that wasn't his natural voice, and he was bombastic.
'Exactly the kind of character that someone - if you've heard the expression - might wish to attribute to what they call a gammon.'
Reform UK co-deputy leader Ben Habib (seen) distanced himself from Parker's comments about the Prime Minister, saying the divorced father of one is a 'disgusting human being'
Parker, who works as an actor, was filmed calling the Prime Minister 'a f***ing p***' as he canvassed in Clacton-on-Sea. He said he volunteered for Reform as he 'believes' in its message
Parker was also filmed saying that Reform would turn all mosques into Weatherspoons pubs and suggested asylum seekers who try to come to Kent from France on small boats should be shot on the beach by young British Army recruits as 'target practice'.
Parker, a divorced father of one, from Bishop Stortford, Herts, who is a part time actor, refused when asked three times if he had been paid to infiltrate Reform UK to make their volunteers appear racist.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Mr Parker said he'd been set up by Channel - but added: 'I'm not going to say anything, I think the best thing I can do is not say anything at all.
'I'm getting phone calls non-stop and it's making me ill to be honest and it's not fair on me. It's really causing me a lot of stress and I really can't stand much more.
'I was set-up, it's as simple as that, the guy was laughing and joking with it all the time.
'He pretended to be part of the Reform campaign team. It was just a joke and it's become ridiculous.
'We were having laughs and jokes – like blokes do have laughs and jokes - that was it really. I feel a bit of a fool, but I'm not used to this media stuff.'
