Brennan and Sheerman on Conservative MPs serving as ‘news’ show hosts, interviewing ministers

During questions to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, Labour MPs Kevin Brennan and Barry Sheerman challenged the member over how the commission viewed other MPs serving also as television hosts.

Mr Brennan asked: “Is [the commission] preparing any guidance about this new trend we have for members of this House who may be candidates for the next election being given their own TV programmes on some of these new news channels?”.

Committee member Owen Thompson responded: “The committee is not discussing these with the Commission as yet. The Commission does not have a role in the regulation of political news programmes”.