Ofcom investigating Sky News over Farage complaints

The UK media regulator, Ofcom, has officially launched an investigation into Sky News over harassment allegations raised by Reform UK leader and Clacton MP Nigel Farage.

The dispute arose last month when Farage accused the broadcaster of invading his family's privacy by sending reporters to a residential property where his adult daughter was living. Consequently, Reform UK lodged an official complaint with Ofcom, demanding that Sky News broadcast an apology and pledge to refrain from contacting Farage's family members at their homes.

Writing in a Facebook post on Friday, Farage confirmed that Ofcom is now investigating the matter and expressed that he was appalled by how members of his family had been treated. Conversely, the broadcaster has maintained from the outset that it did not approach Farage's daughter when the initial allegations surfaced.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

Sky News explained that its reporters were attempting to reach out to Farage himself to ask questions regarding a £5m gift he received from cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne prior to entering Parliament in July 2024. The parliamentary standards investigation into whether this donation violated rules resumed earlier this month after Farage won a by-election.

"Did you not hear me? You have broken all the rules, Leveson and everything else, cut."

Nigel Farage

Ofcom stated that it aims to conclude fairness and privacy complaints within 90 working days, noting that it handles all complaints in strict confidence and does not publicly confirm the identities of individuals involved during an active probe.

Source: BBC Politics