THE SNP has been long arguing it should be included in televised General Election debates, and its latest initiative to have its leader, Alex Salmond, go head-to-head with Gordon Brown, David Cameron, et all is said to be an appeal directly to the BBC governing body, the BBC Trust.
Says The Scotsman’s reporter, David Maddox, on page 9 of his newspaper, today: “The SNP have demanded that they be allowed to make personal representations to the BBC Trust when it considers their appeal over being excluded from the televised prime ministerial election debates.”
The paper suggests the request for a fourth debate to deal with Scotland, and Wales, is likely to be reconsidered this week by the Trust, “after the SNP and Plaid Cymru’s compromise was rejected by corporation bosses”.
Maddox also considers the possibility of the party taking its fight through the courts: “If the BBC Trust rejects their appeal they may still go to court before the first debate, expected to be held on 29 April.”
SNP’s Westminster leader, Angus Robertson MP, is quoted as saying: “In appealing to the BBC Trust the SNP and Plaid Cymru hope to finally get a fair hearing for Scottish and Welsh voters.”
But Glasgow East Labour candidate, Margaret Curran, is quoted wading in: “Alex Salmond is flogging a dead horse. There will be at least seven TV debates in Scotland over the next few weeks and the SNP will be part of the general election ones.”
