This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old



Labour’s deputy leader, Harriet Harman, has written an open letter to the culture secretary, Sajid Javid, challenging Lady Noakes’s role as deputy chair of Ofcom, claiming her “clear” political bias breached the media regulator’s need for impartiality.

Harman, who is also the shadow culture secretary, said Noakes continued to take the Tory whip in the House of Lords and to act as a spokesperson for the Conservative party, sitting on seven committees, despite her appointment to Ofcom in June last year.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Lady (Sheila) Noakes. Photograph: REX

The Labour MP said Noakes’ Twitter account contained a number of tweets criticising the Labour party and Ed Miliband on issues including the economy, the mansion tax and the proposed TV leader debates.

She asked Javid, who was responsible for last year’s appointment of Noakes, to reconsider her position at Ofcom “as a matter of urgency”.

“It is not as though she has just failed to resign the whip,” said Harman. “There are clear breaches to be found on Baroness Noakes’ Twitter account.

“She cannot be upholding the impartiality of the broadcasting regulator whilst tweeting pro-Conservative, anti-Labour material about TV debates.

“Ofcom is the regulator for our broadcast media. It is important that at all times the regulator maintains the highest level of political impartiality, but this is even more important with the election rapidly approaching.

“I would also ask that you note that Baroness Noakes has shareholdings in Verizon Communications Corp, a global communications and technology company. Dame Patricia Hodgson, the former deputy chair of Ofcom, was paid £70,000 for the role.

“Given the number of breaches of Ofcom policy and the clear bias that Baroness Noakes has shown at a personal and professional level, I would ask that you reconsider Baroness Noakes’ position as Deputy Chair of Ofcom as a matter of urgency. I ask that you write to me about this matter immediately.

Harman listed a number of Noakes’ tweets in her letter to Javid:

Harriet Harman (@HarrietHarman) Ofcom impartiality too important to be undermined by Sajid Javid stooge http://t.co/2ZxI4IDu0A

Harman said it was Javid’s job to “protect the integrity of the regulator … and not to compromise this with a party political appointment”.

She said it was of “upmost importance that Ofcom is, and is seen to be, scrupulously impartial” and quoted several lines from the Ofcom annual report which said it had to work “independently, free from political influence … and maintain a reputation for impartiality, integrity and high professional standards”.

An Ofcom spokesman said: “Ofcom is independent of government and is scrupulously impartial. All its decisions are free from political influence. Ofcom’s board is made up of a range of members with a variety of backgrounds, with experience of both public life and the business sector.

“Ofcom’s board includes a member of the House of Lords, Baroness Sheila Noakes, who has considerable UK board-level experience. In accordance with Ofcom’s members’ code of conduct, Baroness Noakes is not a party spokesman in the House of Lords. Sheila may contribute to debates in areas of her expertise.

“Board members are able to express their opinions publically on a range of matters. However, Baroness Noakes acknowledges that the political nature of some comments on her personal Twitter account were not appropriate from someone who is a member of the Ofcom board.”





