SNP fails in leaders' debate legal action against BBC
SNP fails in leaders' debate legal action against BBCThe Scottish National Party has failed to ban the broadcast of the leaders' debate in Scotland tomorrow night, following the party’s claim that the BBC had breached its rules of impartiality.
The SNP claimed that it was being excluded and was seeking an interim interdict against the BBC broadcasting the debate in Scotland where it has seen its support fall as a result of its omission, unless it featured the party.
This was dismissed by the judge, Lady Smith, following two days in court for which the SNP raised £50,000.
Yesterday, The Drum spoke to communications professionals for their views on the legal challenge.
Ahead of the verdict, Billy Partridge, associate director at Grayling Scotland, said of the move by the SNP, when asked how the challenge would affect the party's image: "Alex Salmond's crusade to establish the SNP as a contributor to the leaders' debates has become something of a clarion call made on behalf Scotland as a whole. Whether or not he succeeds, he has given Scotland a voice and has made a clear point about the differing implications of the General Election in a devolved State.
"Indeed, if Mr. Salmond's most recent performance on Sky News is any indication of how he would perform on a UK stage, it is easy to understand why he is so keen to share a platform with other party leaders from Westminster. Cleggmania has presumably done much to spur the SNP into ever more forceful rhetoric as the spoils for the victor of a TV debate are so large.
"Is the SNP worse off for having been denied a place on the podium in London? Certainly it has provided them with plenty of PR ammunition, which the other parties in Scotland just haven't had at their disposal. And recent polling shows Holyrood voting intentions for the SNP ahead of Labour for the first time since September 2009. But column inches about not being in a national debate are no substitute for column inches about winning a national debate. Nick Clegg has secured priceless PR wins that seem to have converted into voting intention - while the SNP continues to poll well when it comes to Holyrood, they have failed to gain much traction in the General Election."
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Comments
sense prevails
I don't particularly support the SNP, but I do see their point on this one. Should have been sorted out much sooner though.
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The SNP won the popular vote in the last two national elections in Scotland so the Westminster parties colluded with the BBC to exclude them from the main campaigning platform for this election - very clever - obviously legal - but err not exactly democratic - but hey election time is no time for democracy.
Can't they just put a giant chip on the shoulder of one of the other participants, to represent Scotland?
The man is a peripheral insect.
Whether you support the SNP or not, Wales and Scotland are both affected very differently by elections now that they have two parliaments. Both the SNP and Plaid Cymru WILL lose votes due to not being included in the leaders debate. They shouldn't be included in the debate, and i'm sure Salmond knows it, but there's no real solution here. The only way round this would be if England had its own paliament and MPs were elected to the UK parliament using a different system.
Thank God for that. What a waste of time.
That's one less kidney machine.
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