Nigel Farage set for slot on BBC election debates... despite having no MSPs

Daily Mail​

10 hours ago

Nigel Farage is set to secure a high-profile slot in the BBC's leaders' debate ahead of next year's Holyrood elections - despite his party having no MSPs.
Early informal talks have already taken place about the debates, with BBC Scotland representatives making clear that Reform UK will join the other five main parties at Holyrood on its broadcast.
BBC sources also said that it will be up to Reform, which does not have a Scottish leader, to decide whether to put up Mr Farage or one of its candidates in Scotland.
Reform UK confirmed that he will take the opportunity to take part in any Scottish debates.
The BBC is taking a different approach to ITV Cymru in Wales, which indicated that anyone taking part in its leaders' debate must be a candidate for the Senedd.
Reform UK's Glasgow councillor Thomas Kerr said: 'It is fully our intention to have Nigel on the debates.
'If diaries fix up and everything else then Nigel Farage will be the one who represents us on those TV debates.
'I know there's been an issue in Wales about whether or not they were having Nigel on the debates and they came out and said no.
'I've not had that feeling from the broadcasters when we've spoken to them, I don't think they are going to have that issue in Scotland.
'To be honest with you, I think they quite like the idea of Nigel being on the debates and giving it a bit more fun and flavour.'
BBC Scotland was previously embroiled in a row with the late former First Minister Alex Salmond in 2021 after ruling that his Alba Party could not take part in its debate, which only featured the five main parties represented at Holyrood.
But a source at the Corporation confirmed that Reform will take part because of its strong current polling and its performance in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election, as well as numerous local by-elections - and that it will be free to decide who takes part.
Reform was also offered a place on STV's by-election debate, which did not trigger concerns from the other parties.
Mr Kerr said: 'We are more relevant in the conversation in Scottish politics than even the Scottish Tories or the Lib Dems at the moment, so it would be bizarre not to have Reform on it.
'If you're looking for evidential facts, which Alba never really had, we are polling second place in Scotland, if not just below in third place quite comfortably, and the Hamilton by-election has shown we are one of the three main parties being able to fight in a seat like that that became a three-way marginal.'
A Scottish Conservative spokesman said: 'Considering so many of their candidates are pro-independence, we look forward to seeing who Reform put forward.'
The SNP is not expected to resist Mr Farage taking part - even though John Swinney previously held a summit to 'lock out' his party from Holyrood, with a party source saying: 'We won't put up a fight because there is a case there for them.'
The BBC already handed Mr Kerr from Reform a place on its panel for its Question Time programme when it was filmed in St Andrews on Thursday.
A BBC Scotland spokesman said: 'We'll announce our plans for coverage of next year's election in due course.'
Broadcast regulator Ofcom ruled following Alba's 2021 complaint that the BBC's decision to exclude the party 'did not raise concerns under Section Five and Six of our Broadcasting Code'.
It said: 'Under our Broadcasting Code, election programmes must comply with special impartiality requirements.
'This means they must preserve due impartiality and include and give due weight to an appropriately wide range of significant views and perspectives.
'Broadcasters must also give due weight to the coverage of parties during the election period, taking into account evidence of past electoral support and/or current support.'