A message from Ofcom brought this news today:
Ofcom today announced it has not upheld complaints received from the Scottish National Party (SNP) and Plaid Cymru about The First Election Debate broadcast on ITV1 at 8.30pm on Thursday 15 April 2010. The political parties complained that the programme was not impartial and was also misleading.
The complaints were adjudicated by the Ofcom Election Committee which may consider complaints during an election period where it is considered that a substantive issue is raised and where the complaint, if upheld, might require redress before polling day.
The Committee considered all the submissions and evidence before it, in light of the devolved political systems in Scotland and Wales, and under the relevant provisions of the Broadcasting Code. It decided that neither complaint should be upheld; that the broadcast of the Debate complied with sections five and six of the Broadcasting Code (concerning impartiality and election coverage); and that no remedial action was therefore required on the part of ITV licensees.
The full decisions can be found here: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/ifi/tvlicensing/tvupdate
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6 Comments
Despite suggestions to the contrary, Ofcom regulations do not consider the SNP to be a major UK Party… only in the Scottish region. The suspension of the Panorama broadcast in 1995 at Labour’s behest arguably concerned a Party which was major both in Scotland and the wider-UK, hence its success.
No doubt there were elements in the SNP which didn’t consider that distinction, but I doubt Salmond did. This always was about promoting the SNP with, even if the appeal were to fail, hopefully portraying the SNP as “fighting” for Scotland. Until now, he [Salmond] has been up against Holyrood politicos and domestic institutions – not exactly intellectual titans – and able to browbeat critics (the Holyrood floor was unedifying to watch, like some playground rammy; although he was recently admonished for calling Iain Gray “a sap”, just as a Labour MSP was for calling him a “numpty”).
As soon as he’s up against the big hitters, it’s a different story.
Actually Alec, the SNP’s stance on this has probably not done them any favours with the Scottish voters. Most people I’ve talked to have realised that it was pure grandstanding by the SNP – and the judge’s comments on their attempt to prevent the third debate happening are quite scathing on this.
As Alex Salmond doesn’t want to be Prime Minister of the UK, why should he take part in the debate ?
There has to be some cut off point, and I would think that as a minimum, parties ought to be contesting at least half the seats and have elected MPs in parliament. Thus making it as least theortically possible they could win the election.
That would rule out the SNP, Green, UKIP, BNP etc
On the other hand, if the public are so keen to hear them in action, there is nothing to stop them organising their own debate – who knows they could even sell the TV rights.
And it’s a shame, ‘cos I have a quiet respect for Fiona Sturgeon and John Swinney.
Do you mean Nicola Sturgeon?
Definitely not Fiona Hyslop.