GB News has furiously denounced a £100,000 Ofcom fine for breaching impartiality rules during a live show with Rishi Sunak as a “direct attack on free speech”.

The media regulator concluded the former PM was given a “mostly uncontested platform to promote the policies and performance of his government” during People’s Forum: The Prime Minister.

It also criticised the “seriousness and repeated nature of this breach” during the live broadcast in February 2024, in the run-up to the 2024 General Election.

“We have also directed GB News to broadcast a statement of our findings against it, on a date and in a form determined by us,” said an Ofcom spokesman.

GB News is challenging the decision and says that Ofcom’s fine “remains subject to the outcome of a judicial review”.

Ofcom is defending its decision and says it will not enforce the sanction until proceedings are concluded.

GB News chief executive Angelos Frangopoulos said in a statement: “The announcement by Ofcom to impose sanctions upon GB News in relation to the People’s Forum is a direct attack on free speech and journalism in the United Kingdom. We believe these sanctions are unnecessary, unfair and unlawful.

“The High Court has already granted GB News permission to bring a judicial review to challenge Ofcom’s decision that the Programme was in breach of due impartiality requirements.

“The sanction proposed by Ofcom is therefore still subject to that legal challenge. The plan to sanction GB News flies in the face of Ofcom’s duty to act fairly, lawfully and proportionately to safeguard free speech, particularly political speech and on matters of public interest.”

Mr Frangopoulos said that “appropriate steps” were put in place to ensure the People’s Forum was “impartial and compliant with the broadcasting code”. He added that “GB News chooses to be regulated and understands the obligations under the Code”.

Mr Frangopoulos concluded: “But, equally, Ofcom is obliged by law to uphold freedom of expression and apply its rules fairly and lawfully.

“At the People’s Channel we will continue to fearlessly champion freedom; for our viewers, for our listeners, and for everyone in the United Kingdom. As we have all seen, this is needed more than ever.”

GB News previously lost a High Court challenge to temporarily block Ofcom from sanctioning it, with the channel’s lawyers arguing that it would cause “irreparable damage” to its reputation.

The broadcaster said earlier this year that it had intended for Labour’s views to be represented in a follow-up programme with Sir Keir Starmer but this had not been announced publicly at the time of the Sunak Q&A and it was then cancelled after Ofcom’s intervention.