Plaid, SNP: 'TV debate was undemocratic'

Plaid Cymru's Adam Price has claimed that last night's second prime ministerial debate was "undemocratic" due to the absence of Scottish and Welsh nationalist parties.

In front of a studio audience in Bristol, Sky News hosted a 90-minute debate between Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg, with Adam Boulton moderating discussion around the theme of international affairs.

Speaking to BBC News, Price said that the three leaders were "as one" on issues such as Afghanistan, pensions and climate change, meaning that there had been "no real debate".

The SNP's Angus Robertson agreed that the debate simply represented a "cosy consensus" between the three main parties.

Robertson also complained that Scotland was only mentioned once during the discussion, when Brown discussed the weather at his home in Queensferry, Fife.

The UK Independence Party (UKIP) noted that the three leaders were in "total agreement" on membership of the European Union, despite UKIP strongly opposing the situation.

UKIP's Nigel Farage said that without his party's involvement, there will never be a "proper debate about the European Union in this election campaign".

Also yesterday, the BBC Trust rejected a joint appeal from the SNP and Plaid Cymru about their exclusion from the BBC's election debate next Thursday.

Alex Salmond, SNP leader and Scotland's first minister, described the decision as a "democratic disgrace".

In a statement, he claimed that the BBC has "given up all pretence of being a national broadcaster for Scotland", and thrown fairness and impartiality "out of the window".

"The corporation has jettisoned more than 80 years of impartiality for the electoral convenience of the London-based parties," said Salmond.

"There can no longer be any question that the leaders' debates are dominating the election campaign, but licence fee payers in Scotland and Wales are being short-changed as the result of an undemocratic carve-up which cuts both nations out of the picture.

"The BBC has proved it is part of the same discredited establishment machine as the Westminster parties which the electorate are raging against."

Salmond has refused to appear on the BBC's planned debate for Scotland, but he will take part in Sky's Scottish debate as the broadcaster has "engaged properly" with the SNP.