Parties rebuff TV debate plans

A general election is expected next year

Scottish politicians have poured cold water on plans to hold US-style TV debates on the run up to the general election.

Under proposals unveiled by the BBC and ITV, Scotland's four largest parties would clash on air.

The plans follow moves for televised showdowns between the three main UK parties - Tony Blair, William Hague and Charles Kennedy - in the run-up to the poll.

However, a spokesman for Scottish Labour said they made "no sense".

Henry McLeish has been invited to take part

The Scottish National Party said they could not support the proposals and called for an English-only debate involving the UK party leaders and a UK-wide debate or debates in which the SNP would be fully involved.

Under the proposals, the night after each of the UK-wide debates there would be a Scottish clash.

A Labour spokesman said: "We are talking about a General Election.

"There is not a Scottish election.

"It is logical that we have a proposition that the national leaders of the party take part in a debate.

"But it does not make sense to have separate Scottish debates."

Raymond Robertson: "In favour of debates"

John McCormick, controller of BBC Scotland, wrote to each of the party leaders asking them to participate in the planned debates.

He said: "For the Scottish debate we propose to leave the choice of representative to each individual party.

"I should perhaps add that it will be the Scottish broadcasters' intention to broadcast the two Scottish four-party debates during the Westminster campaign even if the UK-wide leadership debate does not materialise."

A spokesman for the Scottish Liberal Democrats said leader Jim Wallace was on business in Spain and had not yet learned of the proposal.

An SNP spokesman said: "The SNP are extremely supportive of live televised debates in the run-up to the general election but the broadcasters' proposal is unacceptable to the SNP because it is unfair to Scotland.

'Unfair advantage'

"The SNP are the principal opposition party in Scotland yet this formula would include our political opponents in four debates but the SNP in only two.

"That would give Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems an unfair advantage over the SNP in their campaigns in Scotland.

"Any debates broadcast in Scotland must involve the SNP. That is a fundamental democratic principle."

The Scottish Conservative Party's chairman, Raymond Robertson, said: "We are very much in favour of this type of television debate in principle.

"However, this is only one option and we will look forward to exploring other options with the three other main political parties and broadcasters."