SNP SUES TV BOSSES FOR ‘SNUB’ OVER POLL DEBATES

THE SNP is to take legal action against ITV after being excluded from the broadcaster’s General Election debate.

ITV plans to screen a headto-head clash between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn

London on Monday. however, former BBC Scotland legal adviser Alistair Bonnington said last night there was a ‘perfectly reasonable argument that the only possible two future Prime Ministers should be treated differently to other party leaders’.

he added: ‘It should never be forgotten that politicians make these court challenges primarily next week. But last night Nicola Sturgeon said it was ‘fundamentally unfair’ not to include her party, the thirdlargest in the Uk.

The row paves the way for a courtroom battle between the SNP and ITV at the high Court in

to obtain publicity and to give them the chance to moan even more than usual. The SNP are the biggest moaners of all.’

Last night, Miss Sturgeon confirmed the legal action after ITV said it would host the debate between Tory leader Mr Johnson and Labour counterpart Mr Corbyn at 8pm on Tuesday.

The channel said it would hold a live interview-based programme alongside the leaders’ head-to-head debate, to allow other parties to comment.

It also said that it would host a multiparty debate ahead of the December 12 election.

Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson said earlier this week her party will launch a legal challenge over the decision to exclude all parties other than the Tories and Labour from the initial debate.

Yesterday, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘This election may be the most important of our lifetimes. It is quite simply unacceptable for the SNP and other parties to be cut out of proposed leaders’ debates by broadcasters. This is fundamentally unfair and it fails to recognise that the UK is no longer a two-party state.

‘And in Scotland, this would not be a debate between the two leading parties – instead it would ignore the country’s largest party which, according to the latest polls is also on track to win the third largest number of seats UK-wide. By contrast, the latest polls show Labour in fourth place in Scotland.’

Sky News has proposed a November 28 date for its debate, while the BBC has confirmed it will host two, on November 29 and December 6, in addition to a series of Question Time specials. But Miss Sturgeon said: ‘Crucially, by the time the second debate with all party representation takes place, many voters will already have cast their postal ballots, meaning this debate gives Labour and the Tories an inbuilt and unfair advantage.’

She said the SNP was asking for its legal challenge to be heard ‘in parallel with that taken by the Liberal Democrats’.

She added: ‘We will be arguing not just for the SNP but for other parties to have a place in this debate as well, as was the case in the ITV leaders’ debate of 2015.’

Tory MSP Annie Wells said: ‘This bullyboy behaviour from the SNP is entirely predictable. Scots are fed up of hearing from Nicola Sturgeon about her selfish desire for an independence legacy.

‘They’ll be mortified if this behaviour was elevated to a UK level. ITV should stick to their guns.’

No one from ITV was available for comment last night. Earlier this month a spokesman said: ‘ITV intends to offer viewers comprehensive and fairly balanced General Election coverage. This involves a wide range of programming, including a live debate… in which seven party leaders are invited to take part, as well as a live debate between the Labour and Conservative leaders.’ Sturgeon’s five years of failure – Page 10