Monday 20 July 2009

BBC excluding UKIP from election programmes in Norwich

Glenn Tingle, the UKIP candidate for the Norwich North by-election, has been excluded from a BBC election hustings programme.

Craig Murray, one of Glenn Tingle's opponents in the election, says that "many more people have told me that they are voting UKIP, than have said they are voting for any other party". Feedback from the dozens of UKIP campaigners on the streets every day in Norwich tells much the same story - that Glenn Tingle is currently the lead candidate in Norwich North.

So why is the BBC - required by law to be an independent and impartial broadcaster - excluding the UK's second largest European party and the party with the leading candidate in the election from a televised hustings? Well, there's only one way to find out ...
The BBC is producing a televised election hustings for the Norwich North by-election but the UKIP candidate has has been excluded.

UKIP is the second largest European party in the UK, the fourth largest political party in the UK and by admission of one of his opponents, the UKIP candidate, Glenn Tingle, is the favourite candidate.

Excluding the leading candidate (or, indeed, any candidate) is unacceptable and I feel certain that if he was a candidate for one of the LibLabCon parties that he would have been included.
You might like to make a complaint to the BBC along similar lines. The more complaints they get, the more likely they are to treat Glenn Tingle fairly.

1 comments:

The Pub Consultancy Service said...

I have already contacted UKIP HQ and ask what they intend to do about this and the implication that this Husting should count against election expenses.

I have submitted my complaint to the BBC and asked my group to do likewise. Lets hope all branch Chairman and Regions act swiftly to notify as many members as possible.