Complaint against Hampshire police commissioner Donna Jones for appearing Nigel Farage GB News show is dismissed

A complaint was made against Hampshire police and crime commissioner Donna Jones after she appeared on television channel GB News.
By Natalia Forero
Published 19th Jun 2023, 17:44 BST
Updated 19th Jun 2023, 17:44 BST
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The complainant said the commissioner had breached two principles of the code of conduct – selflessness and objectivity. The complaint was made to the Hampshire police and crime panel on April 30, over the appearance with former Ukip leader and MEP Nigel Farage, discussing police officer numbers.

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The complaint said: ‘GB News is not an impartial news channel and has, within less than two years of launching, been penalised by Ofcom, which has further investigations into GB News.

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Hampshire and Isle of WIght police and crime commissioner Donna Jones, and Nigel Farage, pictured when his GB News show was filmed at the Rifle Club in Goldsmith Avenue, Fratton last yearHampshire and Isle of WIght police and crime commissioner Donna Jones, and Nigel Farage, pictured when his GB News show was filmed at the Rifle Club in Goldsmith Avenue, Fratton last year
Hampshire and Isle of WIght police and crime commissioner Donna Jones, and Nigel Farage, pictured when his GB News show was filmed at the Rifle Club in Goldsmith Avenue, Fratton last year

‘[GB News] is commonly known to be a politically very right-leaning entertainment channel that does not itself purport to be a respectable, independent news channel.

‘The PCC’s involvement reflects badly on her judgments and brings the wider police service’s political impartiality into disrepute.

‘According to the Police and Crime commissioner’s code of conduct, her appearance on this TV channel has brought the office and the wider police service into disrepute (2.1.4 of the Code) and misused her role improperly for political purposes (2.1.7).’

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Nigel Farage interviewing Donna Jones at The Rifle Club in Goldsmith Avenue last year. This is not the incident that sparked the complaint. Picture: Habibur RahmanNigel Farage interviewing Donna Jones at The Rifle Club in Goldsmith Avenue last year. This is not the incident that sparked the complaint. Picture: Habibur Rahman
Nigel Farage interviewing Donna Jones at The Rifle Club in Goldsmith Avenue last year. This is not the incident that sparked the complaint. Picture: Habibur Rahman

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Panel Complaints Sub-Committee presented the report on Friday (June 16). It had previously been confidential.

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Cllr Lesley Meenaghan, a former police officer herself, said, ‘High-profile politicians appear on GB News, and they don’t get removed.

‘PCC Donna Jones is talking about the number of police in the country; she is there to talk about the number of policing.’

Chairman Cllr David Stewart said: ‘I’m not hearing anything that tells me she’s breaching the principles. In fact, I thought she was very professional and contained in what she said.’

After deliberation, the committee agreed to ‘close the complaint’ since there was no ‘substantial evidence’ that indicated a failure of the code of conduct by Mrs Jones in her role of commissioner.

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Mrs Jones said: ‘The outcome of this complaint speaks for itself. As an elected person, I appear on a wide range of news channels in order to represent the public. I am grateful to the panel for their time and consideration and for dismissing the complaint in a timely manner.’