SNP follows through on threat with legal challenge for ITV debate snub

The SNP has launched a legal challenge against ITV’S decision to exclude other political parties from a general election leaders’ debate between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was “unacceptable” other parties would be “cut out” of the televised debate.

She also criticised the Liberal Democrats for taking similar action only on behalf of their leader Jo Swinson.

The SNP wants its action for all leaders to be able to participate to be heard in court on Monday “in parallel” with the Liberal Democrats’ case. The party has also launched a crowdfunder to pay for the costs of the legal challenge,

Ms Sturgeon said: “We are asking that this legal challenge be heard on Monday in parallel with that taken by the Liberal Democrats, but unlike their self-centred approach, we will be arguing not just for the SNP, but for other parties to have a place in this debate as well, just as was the case in the ITV leaders’ debate of 2015.

“The era of two-party dominance of UK elections is fading fast and it is incumbent on broadcasters to recognise that and to act accordingly.”

As it stands, the ITV programme would be a head-tohead between the Conservative and Labour leaders on Tuesday.

But Ms 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.”