LEADERS' DEBATE - SNP LAUNCHES COURT FIGHTING FUND

LEADERS' DEBATE - SNP LAUNCHES COURT FIGHTING FUND

The SNP is launching an appeal to raise £50,000 by midnight on Monday in
order to fund an action at the Court of Session to ensure that Scottish
interests are properly represented at the final election leaders' debate
this week.

The debate, hosted by the BBC in Birmingham, is due to take place on
Thursday April 29th.

The SNP is now mounting a fighting fund in order to raise, over the next
48 hours, the money needed for a court action.

If the financial appeal is a success, the party intends to lodge papers at
the Court of Session first thing on Tuesday morning – the same day that
the SNP and Plaid Cymru should have been granted an oral hearing by the
BBC Trust, which last week rejected both parties’ appeal against their
exclusion from the BBC debate.

SNP leader Alex Salmond has written to the Chairman of the BBC Trust Sir
Michael Lyons, setting out the SNP’s intentions to ensure fair and
impartial coverage of the election for Scottish viewers.

The proposed action would seek to ensure that the debate is broadcast in
Scotland with the nation’s political make-up fairly reflected – either by
having SNP representation in this Thursday’s debate or through an
agreement to have a further, fair leaders’ debate organised before polling
day.
Party leader Alex Salmond said:

“The decision by the BBC, who are meant to be Scotland’s national
broadcaster, paid for by our licence fees, not to have the country’s
political make-up properly represented next Thursday is a democratic
disgrace.

“Everyone knows it is a stitch-up demanded by the London based parties and
meekly agreed to by the BBC.

“That’s why the SNP are today launching a fighting fund to raise the money
needed to challenge the BBC’s decision in court.

“We are mounting an appeal to raise £50,000 by midnight on Monday. That’s
the money we estimate we need to mount an action at the Court of Session
in Edinburgh. It is a huge sum for a party like the SNP. But the issues at
stake are too important to ignore.”

Mr Salmond added:

“Elections, to be democratic, have to be fair. And it is not fair to
Scotland – or to Wales – to exclude the governing parties of our countries
from TV debates which are now totally dominating all the election
coverage.

“The legal papers are being drawn up and if the financial appeal is
successful, we propose to lodge papers at the court first thing on Tuesday
morning, seeking justice and fairness.

“The court action we plan means we are asking that Scottish interests are
properly represented when the final leaders’ debate is held in Birmingham
on Thursday – or that a further and fair leaders’ debate is organised
before polling day.

“We want Thursday’s BBC debate to go ahead but we also want Scottish
viewers to be given a fair picture of the choices on offer to them at the
ballot box on May 6th.

“And in Scotland that picture includes the SNP.”