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The BBC has decided that UKIP and the Lib Dems will both get three Party Political Broadcasts (PPBs) this year – and that the Greens won’t get any.
1m votes – 1 MP – Green Party leads calls for proportional representation
PPBs are the short videos you see on the TV; they’re an important part of the conversation between voters and political parties. Without a PPB, the Green Party will be denied access to millions of people, and voters won’t get to hear all their options.
Shutting out the Greens from the political conversation limits the debate our society and democracy desperately needs.
The Greens secured over a million votes in the election which, under a fairer voting system, would have translated to at least 30 MPs in parliament. As an impartial body, the BBC should allocate PPBs in a way that reflects the political situation.
‘The BBC is a public service broadcaster and we feel they have an obligation to treat all parties on an even keel.
‘By continuing to exclude the Greens from the PPBs it is our contention that the BBC is not fulfilling its duty to ensure balance by communicating the full range of political opinions to its audience.
‘We have been the only Party giving a voice to the voiceless and it is deeply ironic that the BBC thinks it is okay to exclude us from these important broadcasts.’
Shahrar Ali, Deputy Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales
Yesterday (02 February), the Green Party’s Deputy Leaders handed in an official appeal to the BBC Trust, urging the BBC to reconsider its initial decision not to grant the Green Party a Party Political Broadcast in England.
The Green Party has also launched a petition calling on the public broadcaster to include the Greens.
Amelia Womack and Shahrar Ali, Deputy Leaders of the Green Party of England and Wales, handed in the appeal on behalf of Nick Martin, the Greens’ Chief Executive Officer.
Last week, Martin wrote to the Director General and Director of Editorial Policy and Standards of the BBC to argue that the current proposals, which shut out the Greens and allocate three broadcasts to the Liberal Democrats, fail to recognise the pattern and direction of political support in England.
That appeal was rejected and the Green Party has lodged a further appeal with the BBC Trust, to be heard by the Trust’s Editorial Standards Committee.
‘This time last year it was the public that ensured our inclusion in the televised Leaders Debates. Now we need that support again.
‘The Green Party’s membership has grown and the Green Party’s vote has grown. It’s time our public broadcaster reflected the general public’s support for the Greens.
‘This petition represents an opportunity for us to make sure that the Greens’ unique voice gets heard so we can send more elected Greens to the Welsh and London Assemblies.’
Amelia Womack, Deputy Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales
Click here to sign the petition to #InviteTheGreens to the BBC’s Party Political Broadcasts.
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