ScottishToryBoy: Debate on the leaders’ debate pt 2.
Much has been made over in this press this weekend, and on this blog earlier today, over the First Minister’s calls to be involved in the leaders debate set to take place between Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg ahead of next year’s General Election. Now, I will nail my colours to the mast early on - I don’t even think Clegg should be involved in such a debate never mind Alex Salmond.
Oh, and another thing, as it is a Westminster election debate, shouldn’t it be the SNP leader at Westminster, Angus Robertson MP, that takes represents the SNP and not Alex Salmond?
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Labels: Leaders debate
posted by ScottishToryBoy at
21:04
2 Comments:
...it will only work if it allows the two candidates vying to be Prime Minister to have their policies fully scrutinized.
Then it would be illegal under the Communications Act 2003 and and the OFCOM and BBC guidelines if it was broadcast in Scotland, England or Wales.
Alex Salmond is not running to be Prime Minister and he's standing down as an MP so why should he be afforded the opportunity to take part in a debate that scrutinises the current Prime Minister and the man hoping to replace him?
Because if he doesn't get a chance to appear on the same broadcast in Scotland as the other party leaders it will be illegal under the legislation and guidelines noted above.
...shouldn’t it be the SNP leader at Westminster, Angus Robertson MP, that takes represents the SNP and not Alex Salmond?
If it's a debate between party leaders broadcast in Scotland then Alex Salmond should represent the SNP as party leader. There is nothing in any legislation or guidelines to say who gets to be on election broadcasts.
"I don’t even think Clegg should be involved in such a debate never mind Alex Salmond"
The legalities of excluding people, pointed out by Dougthedug, aside, you seem to be saying that you have decided that Nick Clegg won't be Prime Minister, or even Deputy Prime Minister in the Westminster Parliament.
The Liberals will put up candidates in every seat. On what grounds do you exclude his party, 8months in advance of the election?
OK, I grant you it's unlikely, but then you might as well say, the Greens have no chance of getting any seats so they shouldn't run.
Second point, although the Tories have had a huge lead, they have spent the week upsetting people, mainly, I grant you, the old and the sick. It could be that their lead will diminish; it could be that there is a hung parliament. In that case it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that Nick Clegg could take the Liberals into a coalition and become the Deputy Prime Minister. It happened in Scotland after all.
If you exclude people from the debate you are denying them a party political broadcast. Current polling statistics suggest that the SNP is the favourite party in Scotland for the London elections. It would be a travesty of justice to exclude them from the debate.
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