SNP to discuss TV election debates

The SNP will hold talks with the BBC in an attempt to offset a row over its exclusion from the forthcoming main UK TV election debates.

First Minister Alex Salmond recently refused to rule out legal action over the lack of SNP representation on the agreed debate format.

Despite plans to run a dedicated debate in Scotland, Salmond said that the BBC was "duty-bound" to ensure SNP representation in its main UK programme. He will therefore hold negotiations with the corporation in early 2010 to discuss greater involvement for the party.

In the run-up to next year's general election, Sky, the BBC and ITV will each hold a 90-minute prime ministerial debate, with Conservative leader David Cameron, Labour leader Gordon Brown and the Liberal Democrats' Nick Clegg on the panel.

However, Salmond said that the SNP's exclusion from the main UK programmes was unacceptable. Separate debates will be run by the BBC and Sky in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but Salmond claimed that his party should not be "relegated to the B-league".

Salmond expressed willingness to enter negotiations with all three broadcasters over how the SNP and Scotland could be better represented.

"It is not beyond people's wit and imagination to come up with a format which is effective in debating terms and treats the SNP and Scotland fairly," Salmond told BBC News.

"We have had election debates in Scotland since 1992. I took part in the first one with the late Donald Dewar. There is nothing new about that. We are talking about a Scottish and Welsh dimension in the main structure."