Complaint
A viewer complained the incumbent, Andy Burnham, was given preferential treatment during this debate between mayoral candidates and faced insufficient challenge from the presenter.聽 The ECU considered whether the programme met the 麻豆社鈥檚 standards of impartiality with specific reference to Election Guidelines in force at the time of the broadcast.
Outcome
In the ECU鈥檚 view all the candidates on the platform had ample opportunity to make their case for becoming the next Mayor of Greater Manchester and to outline their policy proposals.聽 Beyond that, the nature of the format, with a moderator asking questions, pre-recorded questions from voters, interaction between the candidates and audience participation, allowed for a free flow of debate and discussion which meant few opinions were left entirely unchallenged, including those from Andy Burnham.聽 The challenge did not always come from the presenter, but it did not need to do so to ensure the 麻豆社鈥檚 standards of impartiality was met.
Not Upheld