Culture secretary Nadine Dorries has called on TV regulator Ofcom to review the broadcast licence of Kremlin-funded news channel Russia Today.
In conjunction with the majority of other western countries, the UK has imposed severe sanctions on Russia after it recognised two breakaway regions of Ukraine - a potential pretext for a full-scale invasion of the country.
Russia Today, also known just as RT, is a 24/7 channel in the English language with widespread coverage in the UK, with availability on Freeview, Sky and Virgin Media.
In recent weeks, as the crisis in Ukraine has escalated, RT has echoed Russia president Vladimir Putin's outlandish claims about the situation and featured multiple contributors critical of western governments.
"RT is demonstrably part of Russia's global disinformation campaign, as its own editor-in-chief has made clear in the past, who has called the network an 'information weapon' of the Russian state," Dorries wrote in her letter to Ofcom.
"Accompanied by baseless rhetoric and disinformation, Russian authorities falsely cast Ukraine as a threat to justify their aggressive stance.
"This is a transparent attempt at disinformation and to provide a pretext for reckless and unjustified military action. It is essential that the UK looks to limit Russia's ability to spread their propaganda at home."
Dorries's call for a review of RT's licence was supported by Labour leader Keir Starmer, who described the channel as Putin's "personal propaganda tool" in the House of Commons today.
Prime minister Boris Johnson replied: "I believe my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has already asked Ofcom to review that matter, but we live in a democracy and a country that believes in free speech.
"I think it is important that we leave it to Ofcom to decide which media organisations to ban, rather than politicians - that is what Russia does."
RT's deputy editor-in-chief Anna Belkina said: "RT's operational and editorial independence from all governments is legally protected and always has been. Ofcom recognizes this and has long endorsed RT as a license holder.
"Even in the face of undue political pressure, it has continuously found RT to be in line with other UK broadcasters, without a single breach of broadcasting code to be found in the last four years – not something that can be said about many other channels in the country."
RT has been broadcasting in the UK since 2014 and also has versions of the channel operating worldwide in Spanish, French, German, Arabic and Russian.
Neil Wilkes
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