SNP in party leadership debate legal threat
Discussion
So the SNP, that's the Scottish National Party, wants to take part in the UK party leadership debate do they?
They are a Scottish only party, if they want to take part with the big three in a leadership debate they should put members up for election in the rest of the country. If not they could have their own little debate north of the border against the other Scottish parties.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8289367.stm
Even if he was allowed I hope he gets grilled heavily on the release of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi.
They are a Scottish only party, if they want to take part with the big three in a leadership debate they should put members up for election in the rest of the country. If not they could have their own little debate north of the border against the other Scottish parties.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8289367.stm
BBC said:
The SNP may take legal action if Alex Salmond is not allowed to take part in a UK party leader TV debate ahead of the next General Election. The BBC, ITV and BSkyB jointly proposed three live debates between the Labour, Tory and Liberal Democrat leaders. SNP Finance Secretary John Swinney said going to court was not being ruled out, but said it was more preferable to come to an agreement with the broadcasters.
Opposition parties accused the SNP of bullying tactics.
Tory leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg have welcomed a TV debate, while Gordon Brown has now said he was willing "in principle" to take part. Mr Cameron has told the BBC he wants a respected independent figure to oversee the negotiations for the TV debates.
'Depriving voters'
But the SNP has threatened to seek to block the screening in Scotland of any debate which did not include Scottish First Minister Mr Salmond.
Mr Swinney told BBC Scotland's Politics show the SNP was the party of government at Holyrood, adding that the UK debates would discuss issues of importance to Scotland, such as the future of nuclear submarines on the Clyde. Mr Swinney said the SNP was prepared to be flexible, saying of the current arrangements: "It deprives the voters in Scotland of hearing the breadth of political choice that quite clearly exists here in Scotland about the input of Scotland into the UK General Election."
On the issue of legal action, he added: "That might be a possibility, but, long before we get to that judgement, we have to have full and open discussions with the broadcasters about the arrangements that can be put in place." Also speaking on the programme, shadow Scottish secretary David Mundell said it was not appropriate for Mr Salmond to take part in a debate about who should be the prime minister of Britain. Labour described the SNP's option of going to court as a "sinister threat", and claimed, along with the Liberal Democrats, the Nationalists were attempting to bully broadcasters.
The broadcasters have said they would each seek "to make suitable arrangements for ensuring due impartiality across the UK", but have not yet explained how that would be achieved.
Threatening legal action, really how pathetic can you get.Opposition parties accused the SNP of bullying tactics.
Tory leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg have welcomed a TV debate, while Gordon Brown has now said he was willing "in principle" to take part. Mr Cameron has told the BBC he wants a respected independent figure to oversee the negotiations for the TV debates.
'Depriving voters'
But the SNP has threatened to seek to block the screening in Scotland of any debate which did not include Scottish First Minister Mr Salmond.
Mr Swinney told BBC Scotland's Politics show the SNP was the party of government at Holyrood, adding that the UK debates would discuss issues of importance to Scotland, such as the future of nuclear submarines on the Clyde. Mr Swinney said the SNP was prepared to be flexible, saying of the current arrangements: "It deprives the voters in Scotland of hearing the breadth of political choice that quite clearly exists here in Scotland about the input of Scotland into the UK General Election."
On the issue of legal action, he added: "That might be a possibility, but, long before we get to that judgement, we have to have full and open discussions with the broadcasters about the arrangements that can be put in place." Also speaking on the programme, shadow Scottish secretary David Mundell said it was not appropriate for Mr Salmond to take part in a debate about who should be the prime minister of Britain. Labour described the SNP's option of going to court as a "sinister threat", and claimed, along with the Liberal Democrats, the Nationalists were attempting to bully broadcasters.
The broadcasters have said they would each seek "to make suitable arrangements for ensuring due impartiality across the UK", but have not yet explained how that would be achieved.
Even if he was allowed I hope he gets grilled heavily on the release of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi.
Exactly, that's the other point. But this is a leadership debate for the parties who will realistically produce the next Prime Minister. None of the others will as they don't have the coverage across the other parts of the UK in enough numbers to produce a party majority and win a general election.
This bloke seems to regularly do himself no favours when it comes to PR. It's like the geeky spotty kid at the back of the class complaining to the Head when he doesn't get picked for the football team.
He really should shut the f
k up and let the big boys fight it out for our televisual entertainment. He can have a greet big sulk and watch Taggart instead.
He really should shut the f
k up and let the big boys fight it out for our televisual entertainment. He can have a greet big sulk and watch Taggart instead.Puggit said:
I feel he has a valid point - any debate televised in Scotland should encompass the ruling party in Scotland.
Yes he has, I can't really see how they can have a debate without him in Scotland, I think the only solution is to have a seperate debate for Scotland and maybe for Wales. I also think the leaders of the minority parties actually should be involved. I can't see how it can be truly democratic without all groups being represented. To be honest a debate between Brown, Cameron and the other one would be as exciting as watching paint dry! They are all saying pretty much the same thing albeit slightly differently, and all three of them are morons!
They are just trying to copy the US by having something like the traditional Democrat Vs Republican (Obama/McCain) debates in the US that started with Kennedy Vs Nixon. This first television debate is said to have been major factor in the swing in popularity from Nixon to Kennedy as people saw Kennedy was a cool smart talker and Nixon an old sweaty.
In 2008, like previous years they never asked the other presidential candidates to take part because they knew they didn't have a hope in hell of winning. They never asked Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party, Cynthia McKinney of the Green Party and Bob Barr of the Libertarian Party despite all three parties nominated having candidates with ballot access in enough states to win the minimum 270 electoral votes needed to win the election.
Ps there were more US presidential candidates as well - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_third_p...
They were ignored as well.
So why do we have to inlcude all the minorities who are really just local candidates rather than countrywide?
In 2008, like previous years they never asked the other presidential candidates to take part because they knew they didn't have a hope in hell of winning. They never asked Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party, Cynthia McKinney of the Green Party and Bob Barr of the Libertarian Party despite all three parties nominated having candidates with ballot access in enough states to win the minimum 270 electoral votes needed to win the election.
Ps there were more US presidential candidates as well - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_third_p...
They were ignored as well.
So why do we have to inlcude all the minorities who are really just local candidates rather than countrywide?
Edited by FourWheelDrift on Sunday 4th October 22:44
limpsfield said:
This bloke seems to regularly do himself no favours when it comes to PR. It's like the geeky spotty kid at the back of the class complaining to the Head when he doesn't get picked for the football team.
He really should shut the fk up and let the big boys fight it out for our televisual entertainment. He can have a greet big sulk and watch Taggart instead.
Youre kidding right? The fact anyone outside of England even knows who Alex Salmond is is down to his PR. As for "letting the big boys fight it out" thats fine if we're talking about party sizes but as a debater Alex Salmond would beat Brown and Cameron really bady, he's very very good at it.He really should shut the f
k up and let the big boys fight it out for our televisual entertainment. He can have a greet big sulk and watch Taggart instead.deevlash said:
Youre kidding right? The fact anyone outside of England even knows who Alex Salmond is is down to his PR.
I presume you mean anyone outside of Scotland? Speaking personally I know him as that "annoying Scottish t
t" and I am sure I am not alone in that opinion. There may be no such thing as bad publicity but I am sure that was not the overall image they were going for.The debate is regarding the UK elections, NOT the scottish elections therefore the debate should be with the larger UK parties. Where the debate takes place is neither here nor there.
SNP lead the scottish parliament, such that it is, but this is not a debate on that but the UK parliament/elections.
Put another way, this is a debate on the UK elections/parliament, I do NOT want minor parties involved. How many seats do the SNP have in the UK parliament?
SNP lead the scottish parliament, such that it is, but this is not a debate on that but the UK parliament/elections.
Put another way, this is a debate on the UK elections/parliament, I do NOT want minor parties involved. How many seats do the SNP have in the UK parliament?
deevlash said:
limpsfield said:
This bloke seems to regularly do himself no favours when it comes to PR. It's like the geeky spotty kid at the back of the class complaining to the Head when he doesn't get picked for the football team.
He really should shut the fk up and let the big boys fight it out for our televisual entertainment. He can have a greet big sulk and watch Taggart instead.
Youre kidding right? The fact anyone outside of England even knows who Alex Salmond is is down to his PR. As for "letting the big boys fight it out" thats fine if we're talking about party sizes but as a debater Alex Salmond would beat Brown and Cameron really bady, he's very very good at it.He really should shut the f
k up and let the big boys fight it out for our televisual entertainment. He can have a greet big sulk and watch Taggart instead.When he has to play with the big boys he sounds like the small-minded idiot he is.
The fact he got voted in in Soctland says a lot about the quality of politics north of the border.
BMR said:
If you have the SNP leader on you then must surely have to invite leaders of all other parties, Greens, Plaid Cymru to name just but two.
What about the independents..? Maybe they could hire a big old hall somewhere near the Thames and do their debating there and they could televise it...Oh..hang on....Labour may well want a public audience at the debates - so they can work behind the scenes to stuff it with socialist placemen and women as they do with walkabouts where party apparatchiks are seen in photos near their heroes. They might even do a Sarkozy and get ugly men to sign up for the front row so Brown looks less like a wrinkled scrotum on legs. Nah not possible.
yes I know the French mafia get short people to stand near Mr Bruni but it's the same principle
Dracoro said:
The debate is regarding the UK elections, NOT the scottish elections therefore the debate should be with the larger UK parties. Where the debate takes place is neither here nor there.
SNP lead the scottish parliament, such that it is, but this is not a debate on that but the UK parliament/elections.
Put another way, this is a debate on the UK elections/parliament, I do NOT want minor parties involved. How many seats do the SNP have in the UK parliament?
Seven, according to http://www.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/mps_an...SNP lead the scottish parliament, such that it is, but this is not a debate on that but the UK parliament/elections.
Put another way, this is a debate on the UK elections/parliament, I do NOT want minor parties involved. How many seats do the SNP have in the UK parliament?
Which, by my reckoning, makes them the fourth largest party in the UK. Ignoring the SNP aspect for a moment, it's almost frigntening how close we are to two-party politics these days:
Labour (349),
Conservative (193),
Liberal Democrat (63),
Scottish National (7),
Sinn Fein (5) (haven't taken their seats and cannot vote)
Independent (5)
Plaid Cymru (3)
Social Democratic & Labour Party (3)
Ulster Unionist (1)
I was surprised that UKIP didn't have a seat- did they campaign for the last election, or are they mainly local council/EU gravy train?
Edited by glazbagun on Monday 5th October 17:23
BBC said:
But the SNP has threatened to seek to block the screening in Scotland of any debate which did not include Scottish First Minister Mr Salmond.
Oh no! I bet threatening to block the screening of the debate in Scotland means the whole of the UK will be up in arms. No. The reality is that nobody outside of Scotland will give a crap. So, don't invite him and continue the debate as previously planned. If he wants to block the broadcast so be it - I imagine the majority of Scots would be furious at this and support for him would weaken. So, if we don't invite him, then we don't have to listen to his moronic droning. Then, if he blocks the broadcast and in the process annoys half of Scotland, his ratings will plummet. I don't see any scenario where inviting him is a good idea...Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff