These election debates (which I have had to watch on Youtube) featuring the three main parties in the Westminster parliament have really taken over the whole election. Almost all coverage of the election has been centered around these debates and it shows the power of them that previously unknown to most of the public Nick Clegg has a real chance of leading the Lib-Dems to at least second place in this election.
Slight problem is that the broadcasters have decided not to include one of the main Scottish parties, in fact the government of Scotland at all in any of these main debates. Ooops.
Worse still is the BBC’s role in all of this who are paid for by a substantial and compulsary fee/tax on anyone who has a TV, regardless of whether or not they watch BBC. They have a duty to be impartial and a lot of people feel strongly that they have compromised their impartiality.
I think at the least they have been guilty of not even considering the political landscape in Scotland and just going with what suits England best. But they are also Scotland’s national broadcaster and to me they are not acting like it.
On Sunday, the SNP said they would fight this in court if they could raise £50,000. Well, anybody who has been to the pub with me knows it takes a lot to get me to put my hand in my pocket, but me and 1600 others gave a little to ensure that 31 hours later, they had the money. Court papers were served in Edinburgh’s Court of Session this morning.
Unfortunately, there is the chance that this will back-fire. The media and the 3 UK parties will spin it as being petty and trying to stop people from seeing theses debates and I feel it’s too late now to have any effect on the election that is only 9 days away.
However, hopefully it sends a message to the BBC that it can’t treat Scotland as an afterthought in future elections.
