Labour MP Sends Chilling Warning to BBC Over How It Reports Illegal Boat Migrants Coming to Britain
Labour MP Rupa Huq has criticised GB News over the way it reports immigration and the small boat crisis. She also suggested that the BBC should be careful about giving Channel crossings too much attention when other important stories are happening.
Huq, who represents Ealing Central and Acton, made the comments during an event at the Labour Party Conference about the future of the BBC. The discussion was hosted by polling organisation More in Common.
During the event, Huq said she did not want the BBC trying to copy the style of GB News. She argued that news organisations can sometimes be tempted to focus heavily on stories that create strong emotions because those stories often attract more attention.
She specifically criticised what she described as “anti-migrant” coverage on GB News and said she did not want the BBC following the same approach.
Huq also raised concerns about the way stories are sometimes placed on the BBC website. She suggested that there have been occasions when migration stories have been given the most prominent position even when other major events were taking place.
She said the BBC should be more confident in deciding which stories deserve the greatest attention rather than trying to compete with other broadcasters.
Her comments come at a time when immigration and asylum remain major political issues in Britain. Concerns about people crossing the English Channel in small boats have continued, while debates have also grown over where asylum seekers should be housed.
GB News has given extensive coverage to Channel crossings since the broadcaster launched in 2021. The channel regularly reports the number of people arriving in Britain by small boats and compares crossing figures under different governments and prime ministers.
The broadcaster has also reported extensively on opposition in some communities to plans for asylum accommodation.
One example highlighted by GB News involved Piddington, where the broadcaster reported on a local vote connected to plans to accommodate asylum seekers at a former Ministry of Defence site.
The BBC has also faced criticism over some of its reporting on migration. GB News pointed to a recent Newsnight appearance in which a local resident criticised some people opposed to asylum accommodation and referred to concerns about far-right activity.
Despite her criticism of some BBC coverage, Huq strongly defended the broadcaster overall.
She said the BBC could improve in some areas but described it as the “gold standard”. She also argued that the BBC remains more widely trusted than many other broadcasters.
GB News, however, highlighted Ofcom polling which it said showed strong levels of trust among the channel’s own viewers. According to the figures cited in the report, 74 per cent of GB News viewers considered the channel trustworthy, compared with 66 per cent of BBC viewers who trusted the BBC’s coverage.
The discussion also turned to the future of the BBC licence fee.
Polling from More in Common, as reported by GB News, found that 46 per cent of people surveyed did not believe the £180 annual charge represented good value, while 33 per cent said it did.
The polling also suggested that reducing the licence fee to £120 could encourage more people to continue paying it. Around 54 per cent of respondents reportedly said a lower fee would make them more likely to keep paying.
Political independence was another concern raised in the polling. Around 45 per cent reportedly said they would be encouraged if they believed the BBC took a more politically independent approach to major issues.
Huq’s comments are likely to add to the wider debate about how British broadcasters should report immigration and the Channel crossings. While she believes the BBC should avoid copying GB News and should not automatically give small boat stories the most prominent position, migration remains an issue receiving significant public and political attention across the UK.
