SNP clashes with broadcasters

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

The SNP has clashed with broadcasters over fairness after the BBC, Sky and ITV announced plans for prime ministerial debates in the run-up to the General Election.

Labour's Gordon Brown, Conservative leader David Cameron and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg will go head-to-head in a series of three televised debates lasting 90 minutes each.

Despite previous protests, Alex Salmond will not feature in the main debates but the SNP will be included in separate party leader election debates in Scotland, and other parties will be able to respond to the debates during subsequent news programmes.

The SNP has not ruled out the threat of legal action over the issue.

Nationalist Westminster leader Angus Robertson said: "The SNP does not want to prevent these debates from happening, we want to participate in them, but if these debates go ahead as currently proposed; the views of Scotland's voters and the interests of the people of Scotland will be ignored and excluded.

The prime ministerial debates will feature carefully selected studio audiences that will be able to ask direct questions, but will have to abide by strict rules concerning applauding or heckling and they won't be allowed to respond to leaders' answers.

The first debate will focus on domestic affairs and will be held in the north-west of England and run by ITV, the second on global issues will be held in south-west England and run by Sky, and the third on the economy will be broadcast by the BBC from the Midlands.

Brown said: "I'm so optimistic about the future of our country that I relish the opportunity to debate the big issues and to set out my vision about what we as a country can achieve together, and then let the people decide."

Cameron said: "I think people have got a right to look at the people putting themselves forward as our next prime minister and to see the choice and to see the change that we could make and to make up their own minds."

Clegg said: "I think these debates will give people the chance to have a really good look at the leaders, their values, their character, their judgements, their policies, before they make up their mind how they are going to vote at the ballot box."