BBC shuts Green Party out of party political broadcasts

15 December 2016

* Greens denied party political broadcasts in 2017

* Party told it lacks sufficient electoral support despite securing 1.1 million votes in General Election and finishing third in London elections

* Jonathan Bartley: “Fair is fair - we will continue to fight the BBC on this until they stop shutting us out.”

The BBC has shut the Green Party out of its party political broadcasts once again, refusing to give it slots on TV next year despite allocating screen time to UKIP.

To be eligible for the broadcasts parties have to meet two criteria – having a member of a relevant parliament and “substantial levels of past and current electoral support”.

The Green Party - with one Member of Parliament, Caroline Lucas, one member of the House of Lords, Jenny Jones, and three members of the European Parliament, Molly Scott Cato, Jean Lambert and Keith Taylor – meets the first criteria.

But in a letter to the Green Party the BBC said it doesn’t think the party has “substantial levels of past and current electoral support” and so does not qualify for party political broadcasts in 2017.

This is despite the fact that in last year’s General Election the Greens clocked up 1.1 million votes, which under a fair, proportional voting system would have given the party 24 MPs.

Then this year Greens recorded their best ever election results in London where Sian Berry, our Mayoral candidate, came third. The party also delivered two London Assembly seats and has more than 150 local councillors.

The BBC thinks UKIP, who has one MP, meets the criteria, so they will be given broadcasts next year – but the Greens have been shut out again.

The Green Party will be writing to the BBC to appeal this decision.

Jonathan Bartley, Green Party co-leader, said:

“This is our message to BBC officials who do not think the Green Party should get a party political broadcast: we will not be silenced. 2016 has been a year marked by fear, insecurity and a rapidly warming planet. Green politics of hope and compassion are needed now more than ever. And yet in 2017 we are set to be the only mainstream party with an MP not be given a voice by the BBC.

“After overwhelming success in the London and local elections this year it is ridiculous for the BBC to say we do not have enough electoral support to present our message to the country.

“Fair is fair - we will continue to fight the BBC on this until they stop shutting us out.”





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