Penny Mordaunt tells Labour ‘those are the facts’ in attack over GB News ban
Penny Mordaunt attacked Labour in the House of Commons today during a feisty exchange over the Welsh Parliament banning GB News.
Addressing MPs during weekly Business Questions as part of her role as Leader of the House, Ms Mordaunt took a swipe at Labour after the Senedd Commission banned GB News from airing.
As Labour’s Lucy Powell watched on, she said: “I think my record, even prior to taking this role, has been that I have stood up and fought for this house. In the first year of the pandemic, Honourable Members will know, I spent every single day on the phone with all members of this house, updating them in my role as Paymaster General on what was happening.
“And I take my responsibilities in this house very, very seriously indeed. But I shall always stand up and fight for this house and my country.
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“I will not be lying down with Just Stop Oil and damaging our energy security. I will not be lying down potentially with the Liberal Democrats and the Honourable Lady’s encouraging words about proportional representation.
“I will not be lying down with the SNP, they are very pleased to hear, or contemplating assisting them on a second referendum.
“Those are the facts, Mr Speaker. And I can understand why Labour don’t like them, which is perhaps why they have chosen to ban some news programming available on Freeview to anyone operating in the Senedd.”
Re-posting the clip from Parliament TV on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Leader of the House of Commons said: “In Labour-controlled Wales, news programming available on Freeview has been banned from the Senedd.
“Is it because Labour doesn’t want to listen to the facts?”
The decision to ban GB News in the Senedd was taken due to the broadcaster putting out content that, according to a spokesperson on behalf of the presiding officer, Elin Jones, was “deliberately offensive, demeaning to public debate and contrary to our parliament’s values”.
The spokesman for Ms Jones said: “GB News has been removed from the Senedd’s internal television system following a recent broadcast that was deliberately offensive, demeaning to public debate and contrary to our parliament’s values.
“There are now several ongoing Ofcom investigations into the channel.
“The commission will discuss the issue at a future meeting, and staff and members who wish to view GB News will still be able to do so online in the Senedd.”
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The decision was taken by the Senedd Commission and not directly by the Welsh Labour administration but has led to criticism of Mark Drakeford’s government from outspoken GB News host Nigel Farage.
He claimed it showed “ just how awful the Welsh Labour administration is”.
Speaking on his nightly show, he said: “This shows just how awful the Welsh Labour administration is. They are totalitarian in their thinking and behaviour.
“Is this what lies in store for the whole of the UK under Starmer?”
Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies also hit out at the ban, branding it a “disgrace” and adding “censorship and should worry us all”.
He said: “People should be free to choose if they want to watch GB News. It’s not for the Senedd to decide.”
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