SALMOND SLAMS "RIGGED ELECTION DEBATES" PROPOSAL
"HIGH HANDED AND METROPOLITAN MINDSET"
Commenting on the statement from the broadcasters on TV General Election
debates, Scotland's First Minister and leader of the Scottish National
Party Alex Salmond said:
"It is entirely unacceptable to Scotland as well as to the SNP for the
broadcasters to exclude the party that forms the government of Scotland -
and indeed is now leading in Westminster election polls.
"If these debates are to be at all relevant to their audiences, they must
reflect the democratic reality of Scotland and political diversity across
the UK. And that must include SNP involvement in debates broadcast in
Scotland.
"The fact is that the General Election in Scotland will be a two-horse
race between the SNP and Labour - and the most recent Scottish poll for
Westminster put the SNP ahead, at 34 per cent compared to 32 per cent for
Labour, 15 per cent for the Tories, and 12 per cent for the Lib Dems.
"The broadcasters have got to meet their public service obligations to
audiences across the UK, and for them to propose debates which signally
fail to do so shows an extraordinarily high-handed attitude and
depressingly metropolitan mindset. We have had leaders' debates in
Scotland for many years, so there is nothing new in that.
"The broadcasters would do well to recall the debacle experienced by the
BBC's Panorama programme in 1995, when they were forced not to broadcast
an interview with the Prime Minister in Scotland because it breached the
rules of impartiality during a Scottish local election.
"We shall seek guarantees of inclusion from the broadcasters, given their
inescapable duty to ensure fairness and impartiality in election-related
coverage in Scotland.
"Sky has made some constructive suggestions, but we have had no proposals
from the BBC or ITV - which is extraordinary, given that these
broadcasters have the greatest public service obligations.
"We are always prepared to be flexible about options for the format, but
the party of government in Scotland must as a matter of principle and
proper democratic practice be included in any UK-wide debates.
"The SNP are seeking to have a substantial influence at Westminster by
electing a block of 20 or more MPs, with obvious UK-wide political
implications - not least given the perfectly possible outcome of a hung
parliament.
"And on a range of issues which will loom large in the General Election
campaign, the SNP have a distinctive as well as compelling policy
position. For example, while the London-based parties will debate whether
there should be three or four Trident nuclear weapon submarines on the
River Clyde, the SNP will be arguing for none - a position backed by the
Scots Parliament, as well as a majority of Scottish Westminster MPs.
"In other words, both from the Scottish and UK perspectives, the governing
parties of Scotland and indeed Wales cannot have our voices silenced by
rigged debates."
IPSOS MORI POLLING BRIEF
For over six years now, MORI have published their polling figures on the basis of those who are “certain to vote”. This is their own preferred methodology, as it gives the most accurate figures for voting intentions, and it is these figures which Ipsos MORI publish in their online polling report.
http://www.ipsos-mori.com/
It is a sign of desperation that Labour find it necessary to brief on a different, less accurate set of figures, which do not reflect Ipsos MORI’s favoured voting intention figures. The headline figures for Westminster and the Holyrood constituency vote shows the SNP back in the lead on both votes.
1. The Westminster Voting Intentions and an analysis of the seats results in the following outcome:
| Party | Poll | Change | Pred Seats | Change |
| SNP | 34% | 16.34% | 16 | +10 |
| Labour | 32% | -7.52% | 33 | -8 |
| Tory | 15% | -0.83% | 2 | 1 |
| LibDem | 12% | -10.63% | 8 | -3 |
The historical series for Ipsos MORI polls shows a number of key highlights. Both the Tories and Lib Dems are at their LOWEST level of support recorded in such polls.
Second, in the run up to the 2005 General Election, the SNP were in fourth place at just 13 per cent – and went on to achieve 18 per cent and six seats. Now, on exactly the same “certain to vote” methodology, the SNP are at 34 per cent – the HIGHEST SNP rating ever in an Ipsos MORI poll.
2. The Holyrood Voting Intentions and an analysis of the seats results in the following outcome:
* Note - Seats prediction is based on assuming notional regional vote based on constituency vote.
| Party | Poll | Change | Seats | Change | Constituency Seats | Change | Regional Seats | Change |
| SNP | 36% | +3.1% | 51 | +4 | 27 | +6 | 24 | -2 |
| Labour | 32% | -0.1% | 44 | -2 | 36 | -1 | 8 | -1 |
| Tory | 12% | -4.6% | 15 | -2 | 3 | -1 | 12 | -1 |
| LibDem | 12% | -4.2% | 15 | -1 | 5 | -6 | 10 | 5 |
| SSP | 2% | 2% | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Green | 3% | 3% | 1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Other | 3% | 1% | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
3. Most important issues facing Scotland
Polling on what people view as the most important issues show that independence and the constitution has moved UP the table of interests since August to fifth place – higher than crime, the environment, immigration and several other important issues.
The figures also show significant differences between Scotland and Britain in the issues regarded as most important – for example, immigration and crime are far lower down the list in Scotland compared to Britain as a whole, while jobs and education are higher up:
What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Scotland/UK today?
| Scotland | Scotland | GB | |
| Aug-09 | Nov-09 | Nov-09 | |
| Unemployment/factory closure/lack of industry | 44% | 42% | 27% |
| Economy/economic situation/'credit crisis’/crunch | 36% | 37% | 49% |
| National Health Service/Hospitals/ Health care | 23% | 24% | 20% |
| Education/schools | 26% | 24% | 12% |
| Scottish Independence/constitution/ | 16% | 18% | * |
| Crime/law & order/violence/ vandalism/anti-social (yob) behaviour | 17% | 15% | 24% |
| Environment/climate change/global warming/pollution | 10% | 11% | 8% |
| Immigration/immigrants (race relations) | 8% | 8% | 33% |
| Housing | 8% | 8% | 5% |
| Drug abuse | 5% | 6% | 3% |
| Transport/public transport | 5% | 6% | 2% |
| Terrorism/war in Iraq/Afghanistan/foreign affairs/Defence | 5% | 5% | 25% |
4. Leadership ratings show Alex Salmond the only leader with positive figures
MORI asked about the satisfaction of Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Alex Salmond. Alex Salmond was the only leader to have a positive rating compared to negative ratings for Gordon Brown and David Cameron.
The following questions by MORI had the following results:
* Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way Gordon Brown is doing his job as Prime Minister?
* Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way David Cameron is doing his job as leader of the opposition?
* And, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way Alex Salmond is doing his job as First Minister of Scotland?
| Satisfied | Dissatisfied | Rating +/- | |
| Alex Salmond | 47% | 43% | +4% |
| Gordon Brown | 41% | 49% | -8% |
| David Cameron | 36% | 47% | -11% |
Sample: 1,009
Fieldwork dates: 19th November to 23rd November 2009
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