Consultation ends on selection of ‘major’ and ‘minor’ parties for Scottish election
THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY will join together with the Scottish Green Party to support its campaign for full inclusion in Scottish election coverage.
The cross-party gesture of solidarity comes on the day of the BBC Trust deadline for evidence on how the broadcaster should allocate ‘major’ and ‘minor’ party status in television debates and coverage.
Provisional guidelines suggested keeping the Greens as a minor party , below the Liberal Democrats, despite poll performances suggesting the Greens are averaging 9 per cent support in the parliamentary list vote.
The National newspaper confirms that the SNP “will be making the case for the Greens to be included in the debates as a large party.”
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has also stated that she would support the Greens being judged as a major party, alongside the other four parties represented at Holyrood.
Green co-convener Patrick Harvie MSP, welcomed the cross-party support: “It’s fantastic to see Nicola Sturgeon support our calls for parity from the BBC and Ofcom. The 2015 UK leaders’ debates were a clear example of how the political parties could collectively achieve fair and balanced broadcasting and we are grateful that this constructive approach continues in Scotland.
“Over six thousand people have now signed our petition and many have responded directly to the BBC and Ofcom so we are optimistic that the guidance will be revised to achieve the quality of coverage Scottish voters expect from their broadcasters. The Scottish Greens have a bold and progressive case to make for what Scotland can achieve from housing & energy to education & health and we look forward to having the opportunity to make it.”
The first televised election debate, shown on STV’s Scotland Tonight, featured all five of the largest parties.
The Scottish Green Party and the SNP previously campaigned alongside each other as part of the pro-independence campaign Yes Scotland.
Ahead of the General Election, the SNP, Green Party and Plaid Cymru successful overturned their exclusion from live televised debates that became key moments in the campaign.
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Picture courtesy of Bex Ross