A great victory has been won in Scottish and British politics. According to these articles the Green Party, the SNP and Plaid Cymru are to join the rest of the main UK parties in two out of three of the TV debates coming up for the general election. The BBC debate and the ITV debate will have 7 parties present, kind of like a Scandinavian debate; including Labour, Conservative, UKIP, SNP, Green, Plaid Cymru and Liberal Democrat Parties. The final debate on Channel 4/Sky will be hosted by Jeremy Paxman and Kay Burleigh and will be Ed Miliband vs David Cameron.
I am, needless to say, very happy with this settlement. Previously it seemed as though UKIP were the only party besides Labour and the Tories that were going to get on the debates. After a particularly ferocious outcry from the Greens, SNP and Plaid Cymru it seems like the broadcasters have changed their mind. Quite tellingly the excuse they gave originally was that there should only be "national parties" present - evidently Scotland is not a nation, nor is Wales. Rather, the only national parties are English ones - because Labour and the Tories don't stand in Northern Ireland. No party is truly "national". If only more people understood that Scotland and Wales are not viewed as equal nations within a union of equals or whatever the hell it's supposed to be, maybe we'd make more breakthroughs in future referendums.
Interestingly Northern Irish parties are nowhere to be seen, but it seems like Northern Ireland isn't really a part of the UK in the eyes of the broadcasters so it's not included. Certainly its politics are so far removed it would be difficult to include them, but I still think it's a failing on the part of the BBC/ITV.
The outcry of Greens, SNP and Plaid Cymru was insignificant compared to Cameron's refusal to take part unless the Greens were also present. As such it's pretty clear what Cameron wants: Going up against Miliband and Farage on a TV debate is likely to lose him votes as Farage loves swelling his popularity on TV debates and although Miliband has the likeability of mouldy bread he can keep bringing up the NHS for debate whilst Cameron's opinion on TV debates is more along the lines of: 'it sucked the life out of the campaign.'
So obviously with the Libdems waning Cameron would want another alternative left party to also suck up Labour votes, hence his insistence on the Greens being there. SNP also get a ticket due to their forecast of possibly wiping the floor with ScotLab in Scotland and Plaid Cymru for Wales as Cameron is called out on his threat.
I don't even understand why UKIP are on it. They've got what, 2 seats in parliament?
This helps
They've got 5 seats in Parliament,
do well in polls, are still growing; likely to ensure Con do not get overall majority without coalition and have already debated the major party leaders before (with exception to Cameron).
Fine they'll get the alt/protest votes, probably, in England and maybe Wales, but come on man. Farage is a fucking clown!
edmilipigdisgusting vot 4 mai husbandu onl3
Also, what would happen if Farage didn't get a seat in parliament? Would he have to step down as leader so we don't have to hear the nonsense he spouts?
Who knows? Granted, he's said that he wants to focus on being an MEP, and he's certainly made moves to do so what with him leading the Eurosceptic party with the Italians' David Borelli. Keep in mind even when he did step down as UKIP leader before the media still loved him, so you're going to be stuck with him until he retires or dies.