Ofcom rejects Tories' complaint over Boris Johnson ice sculpture on Channel 4 climate debate

3 December 2019, 12:01

Boris Johnson was replaced by an ice sculpture on the Channel 4 debate
Boris Johnson was replaced by an ice sculpture on the Channel 4 debate. Picture: PA

Ofcom has rejected a complaint from the Conservative Party over a melting ice sculpture which replaced Boris Johnson during a Channel 4 climate change debate.

The Tories lodged their complaint after an ice sculpture of the world with “Conservatives” written on it was placed on the Prime Minister’s podium when he decided not to attend.

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage was also replaced with one of the sculptures during the televised Emergency On Planet Earth debate last week.

Despite the Tories complaining, Ofcom said Channel 4 had “editorial freedom” in determining the debate’s format and said it “ensured that the Conservative’s viewpoint on climate and environmental issues was adequately reflected.”

An Ofcom statement said: "Ofcom's Election Committee has considered a complaint from the Conservative Party about The Channel 4 News Climate Debate.

Nigel Farage was also replaced with an ice sculpture during the debate
Nigel Farage was also replaced with an ice sculpture during the debate. Picture: PA

"Broadcasters have editorial freedom in determining the format of any election debate.

“Depending on the circumstances, they may choose to proceed without having agreed the participation of a particular political party or politician, providing they take steps to ensure the programme complies with our due impartiality and elections rules.

"In this case, the Election Committee concluded that, across the one-hour debate and a subsequent news programme, Channel 4's use of editorial techniques ensured that the Conservative's viewpoint on climate and environmental issues was adequately reflected and given due weight."

Ofcom said the sculpture was not supposed to "personally" represent Mr Johnson and that little editorial focus was given to the object throughout the debate.

The statement added: "The Committee therefore considered that this programme, including the use of the ice sculpture, did not raise issues warranting further investigation under our due impartiality and elections rules."

In their original complaint to Ofcom Election Committee chairman Tim Suter, the Tories said they offered Channel 4 the former environment secretary Michael Gove to be the party’s representative for the debate.

“Channel 4 News has refused to accept this representative, and stated that they intend to ’empty chair’ the Conservative Party if the Prime Minister does not attend,” the letter said.

“This effectively seeks to deprive the Conservative Party of any representation and attendance at the Channel 4 News debate.

“It has even been reported that Channel 4 has commissioned an ice sculpture of the Prime Minister to represent the Conservative Party.

“Were this the case, this would represent a significant breach of the Code through such a provocative partisan stunt, which would itself constitute making a political opinion in its own right.”

Mr Gove turned up at the television studio with the Prime Minister’s father Stanley Johnson before the debate was due to kick off.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Exclusive
Anneliese Dodds said Labour would make sure local people have 'skin in the game' with tackling inequality

'Rebuild has to start from ground up,' Labour's Anneliese Dodds says, and 'local people must have skin in the game'

Mohamed Mansour has been awarded a knighthood

Conservatives accused of 'cronyism' after donor who gave £5 million awarded knighthood in surprise honours list

Exclusive
Justin Welby recalled his experience of coping with his father's drinking as a teenager.

‘It was utterly isolating’: Archbishop of Canterbury recalls harrowing experience of growing up with his alcoholic father

More than 2 million drivers are set to hit the road on Good Friday.

Easter Carmageddon: Over two million drivers to hit the road on Good Friday after Storm Nelson travel chaos

Michael Gove has slammed the water firm as a 'disgrace'.

Thames Water bosses branded a ‘disgrace’ as Michael Gove tells firm ‘not to punish consumers’ for its failings

South Africa Bus Crash

Girl, 8, the sole survivor as 45 die in bus crash off South Africa bridge

A spokesman has denied reports the sausage dog could be banned.

The wurst news is over: Germany denies claims of sausage dog ban

Israel Palestinians Britain Aid

UN top court orders Israel to open more land crossings into Gaza

Greece Confidence Vote

Greece’s government survives no-confidence motion called over rail disaster

A council has had to apologise following the incident.

Fury as parents offered version of school class photo without complex needs pupils

Conjoined twin who shot to fame with sister on The Oprah Winfrey Show marries army veteran in private ceremony

Conjoined twin who shot to fame with sister on The Oprah Winfrey Show marries army veteran in private ceremony

Israel Palestinians UN Security Council

Russia ‘abolishes’ monitoring of sanctions on North Korea with UN veto

Firefighters at the scene of a bus crash in Limpopo

Bus falls from bridge in South Africa and erupts into flames, killing at least 45 and leaving child, 8, as lone survivor

Music-Green Day UN

Green Day to headline UN-backed global climate concert

Exclusive
Starmer has vowed to resurrect Boris Johnson's 'Levelling Up' policy

Failure to ‘level up’ Britain would be ‘catastrophic’, Wes Streeting admits, as Starmer vows to resurrect Johnson policy

Border Force staff will walk out from April 11

Hundreds of Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport to stage four-day strike