ON THE HUSTINGS:SCOTTISH NATIONAL Party leader Alex Salmond has given supporters 48 hours to raise a £50,000 "fighting fund" for a court hearing at which he hopes to force the BBC to allow him to participate in the third and final televised election debate.
Salmond, who is Scotland’s first minister, argued that the BBC was betraying its duties as a public service broadcaster to ensure fairness and balance by refusing to give his party a place in Thursday’s debate in Birmingham.
“The decision by the BBC – who are meant to be Scotland’s national broadcaster, paid for by our licence fees – not to have the country’s political make-up properly represented next Thursday is a democratic disgrace,” he said.
“Everyone knows it is a stitch-up demanded by the London-based parties and meekly agreed to by the BBC. Elections, to be democratic, have to be fair.
“And it is not fair to Scotland – or to Wales – to exclude the governing parties of our countries from TV debates which are now totally dominating all the election coverage.”
Britain’s prime minister Gordon Brown has employed the services of a rhinestone-clad Elvis impersonator to liven up what has been criticised as a rather dull election campaign.
After initially insisting that he did not need “glitz and razzmatazz” to be re-elected, Mr Brown has now admitted the need to “up the tempo” and make more of an effort to meet members of the public.
On Saturday, Mr Brown and his wife Sarah were serenaded on the campaign trail by Elvis lookalike Mark Wright, who performed a version of The Wonder of You.
The following day, the Suncould not resist reporting the event under the snarky headline: "Is Gordon All Shook Up"?
Comedians Harry Enfield, Eddie Izzard and Jo Brand are among some 50 signatories to a letter accusing the Conservative party of “attacking the BBC to serve the interests of its commercial rivals”.
In a letter published in the Observeryesterday, they claim the Tory stance "threatens to devalue not just the BBC itself, but our culture as a whole", and they appeal to voters to consider the consequences on election day.
Last year, Conservative leader David Cameron called for the British licence fee to be frozen for 12 months, arguing that public bodies should “set an example” during the downturn.