BBC Clickety

I genuinely didn't see that one coming although my suspicious mind thinks it's perhaps a ploy to avoid having to go up against Farage on TV rather than any particular concern about the exclusion of the Greens.

The other theory being that The Greens could make Labour look bad, in the way that UKIP could make the Tories look bad.

Ed Doesn't really need help with that.
There's also the issue of legal action against the broadcasters from the SNP and possibly Plaid Cymru as both of them can demonstrate a greater number of MP's than the Greens or UKIP and if anything the SNP certainly look like they'll be increasing their number of MP's next time as well (I have no idea how PC are doing).

I've always considered it a reasonable argument that as the likes of SNP and Plaid don't campaign in the whole UK, they should probably take part in a separate debate broadcast for their specific national audience in which the local leaders of the major UK parties also took part. It seems to me there's not much point putting a broadcast debate out in the whole UK containing several parties who are only putting candidates up in one national area. It's a slightly different point to that about whether a party has enough political weight to appear in debates broadcast to the whole nation full stop. As it stands if anything the greens and UKIP more deserve to be in those than the lib dems. That'll certainly be true at the election afterwards...

There is indeed a lot of logic in that however there is real possibility this time round that the SNP could hold the balance of power in forming a coalition with Labour if they do as well/Labour do as badly in Scotland as the polls suggest following the independance referendum. I would argue in that case that if there is a potential party of government, however they end up getting there, then it's worthwhile people getting a more in depth view of that party/leader. The SNP currently hold 7 Westminster seats and there's a distinct possibility that number could go up, and not just by one or two, at the next election.

I'm assuming the Green party will spew the same ill informed headline grabbing dross that Greanpeace spew out.

It's a can of worms - I mean even the DUP might get tapped after the election since they have 8 MPs. Major was forever running to the unionists, and Cameron's already had them round for non-alcoholic beverages...

Leaders of five main UK parties invited to take part in general election debate

Consortium led by the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph and YouTube proposes Green-including Digital Debate
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... n-30-march

Election 2015: New format proposed for TV debates
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30935369

It'll get to the point where a bunch of collective independents want a look in.

Election 2015: NI parties not included in TV election debate plans
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-30949900

Also, Galloway is taking legal action. The parties have every right to kick up a fuss; it's not remotely right how it's being handled.

i think i will give this fiasco a miss and just wait for the may elections ...

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-31039171

They're so full of sh1t.

It’s going to look like an episode of 15 to 1, with each person having a minute to respond to each question.