tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2623721153002721356.post4480307662726958087..comments2024-03-28T17:49:01.125+00:00Comments on Three Thousand Versts of Loneliness: UK regions should not be deprived of leaders' debate by nationalist small mindednessOwen Polleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00567787385096905811noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2623721153002721356.post-43768345995050505352009-12-23T21:24:18.137+00:002009-12-23T21:24:18.137+00:00Jim Bobbins:
And Caroline Lucas, leader of the Gre...Jim Bobbins:<br /><i>And Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party.</i><br /><br />If the debate was restricted only to parties which fielded candidates in every corner of the UK it would be a one sided debate where David Cameron and Sir Reg Empey talked to themselves. That is if you now count the Conservatives and the UUP as one unitary party.<br /><br />Caroline Lucas' party only fields candidates in England and Wales. The Scottish and Northern Irish Greens are separate parties.DougtheDughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02952281599715356995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2623721153002721356.post-46652811204484537392009-12-23T12:26:50.057+00:002009-12-23T12:26:50.057+00:00The BBC is a UK State Broadcaster paid for by lice...The BBC is a UK State Broadcaster paid for by licence fee payers in every region of the United Kingdom.<br /><br />To be truly equal then, the leadership debate should be between those party leaders who are standing candidates in every region of the United Kingdom.<br /><br />That would be between David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party.<br /><br />And Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party.<br /><br />:-PJim Bobbinsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2623721153002721356.post-68311262649026511652009-12-23T10:13:23.987+00:002009-12-23T10:13:23.987+00:00>> Why on earth cannot there be a debate FOR...>> Why on earth cannot there be a debate FOR SCOTLAND ONLY between Brown, Cameron, Clegg and Salmond?<br /><br />Have you asked Brown, Cameron and Clegg?<br /><br />>> You are being petty minded in thinking the Scots want to listen to 4 and a half hours of this without SNP input.<br /><br />I don't have any problems with the Fish-heid turning up for a spell, at the end when the main team has played. But that's not why Salmond's threatening to take away the ball, and you know it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2623721153002721356.post-64274969126086766292009-12-23T09:36:20.326+00:002009-12-23T09:36:20.326+00:00The opinions in the post on this blog are like man...The opinions in the post on this blog are like many I see in other posts and in comments to posts. Namely that as the SNP have no hope of forming the next UK government and as they don't organise across the UK then they have no right to be on any debate between the party leaders <b>broadcast in Scotland</b>.<br /><br />Unfortunately for those who hold these opinions the legislation and guidelines on political impartiality in broadcasting aren't written that way. <a href="http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/ifi/codes/bcode/elections/" rel="nofollow">OFCOM</a> defines the four major parties in Scotland as Labour, the Conservatives, the Lib-Dems and the SNP , PC is defined as a major party in Wales and the NI parties are major parties in NI. The BBC in its <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/edguide/politics/broadcastingdur.shtml" rel="nofollow">guidelines</a> states that its editorial decisions must be, <i>"aware of the different political structures in the four nations of the United Kingdom and that they are reflected in the election coverage of each nation. Programmes shown across the UK should also take this into account."</i><br /><br />In other words Scotland, like Wales and NI, is treated as separate unit for election broadcasting and within Scotland the SNP has the same status as Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib-Dems for any election broadcast.<br /><br />A multi-party election broadcast, which is what a party leader debate will be, <b>broadcast in Scotland</b> has to involve the party leaders of the OFCOM defined four major parties or it will fall foul of the guidelines.<br /><br />England can get a three-party debate, Wales will also have to have a four party debate with PC involved and NI will have its parties in its own debate.<br /><br />The problem for the broadcasters is that they are trying to apply a single rule across the UK when the guidelines and legislation don't. Yes, the SNP will not form the next government in Westminster and Alex Salmond is not standing as an MP but neither of these facts has any bearing on the rules about political impartiality in broadcasting in Scotland and they will have no effect on any Judge interpreting these rules.<br />The important point to remember is that the SNP is not trying to gain UK coverage to which it has no right under the current guidelines but to ensure that the guidelines on broadcasting are followed in Scotland. <br /><br />I know many genuinely believe that the SNP do not have any right to appear with the other three party leaders in a debate <b>broadcast in Scotland</b> but those who do believe that and say it should try reading the guidelines first.DougtheDughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02952281599715356995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2623721153002721356.post-31367194408704002032009-12-23T09:21:19.024+00:002009-12-23T09:21:19.024+00:00JPJ2
Not a bad idea. What about a Northern Irelan...JPJ2<br /><br />Not a bad idea. What about a Northern Ireland version? <br /><br />Brown vs. Cameron vs. Robinson vs. Durkan (or his successor) vs. Adams?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2623721153002721356.post-76998058600962464722009-12-23T01:52:14.786+00:002009-12-23T01:52:14.786+00:00yeah, why would Scots want to tune into such immat...yeah, why would Scots want to tune into such immaterial issues as Afghanistan, taxes, the economy, climate change, energy, ....rutherfordhttp://aleatory.clientsideweb.net/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2623721153002721356.post-83174576211418072942009-12-22T22:07:31.329+00:002009-12-22T22:07:31.329+00:00Why on earth cannot there be a debate FOR SCOTLAND...Why on earth cannot there be a debate FOR SCOTLAND ONLY between Brown, Cameron, Clegg and Salmond?<br /><br />Most of the discussion between Brown etc will relate to issues over which Westminster no longer holds sway.<br /><br />You are being petty minded in thinking the Scots want to listen to 4 and a half hours of this without SNP input.JPJ2noreply@blogger.com