Complaint
A viewer complained that a member of the audience had expressed approval for the Conservative Mayor of the Tees Valley, which he considered unfair to other candidates in the forthcoming mayoral election and in breach of the ±«Óãtv’s Election Guidelines. The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the ±«Óãtv’s editorial standards of impartiality.
Outcome
The Election Guidelines, which include provisions about mentioning candidates, did not come into force until the election period, which began on 26 March, so there was no restriction on mentioning candidates, and it was entirely in keeping with a programme in which diverse opinions are aired and debated for a member of the audience to express approval of a particular candidate. The reference to the Mayor of the Tees Valley was not taken up by the panel and did not feature in the ensuing discussion, so its impact on the prospects of other candidates would have been strictly limited.
Not upheld