SNP in the leaders debate?

Nigel must have been fuming about being left out.

Dear Points of View,
Why oh why oh why...
Angry of Dover

The SNP is the third largest party in Westminster, well ahead of the Liberal Democrats.

It would - simply based on the numbers - be difficult to justify including the Lib Dems whilst omitting the SNP.

As for Farage, his presence in Westminster is almost non-existent now. Even Plaid and the Northern Ireland parties have more representation there than his lot right now.

That could change after this election. I have seen analysis that suggests that in a best case scenario they could win 7 seats. But under FPTP the odds of making such a breakthrough are stacked against them. Farage is aiming to do maximum damage to the Tories as a prelude to taking them over.

There is nothing more sinister than number of Westminster MPs being the determining factor on which leaders participated. The fact that one of them only competes in Scotland is irrelevant as long as Scotland remains an integral part of the UK and sends a large number of MPs south. If the determining factor was who could credibly form the next UK government, then the Lib Dems as well as the SNP would have had to have been excluded.

My own preference would have been to include as many voices as possible. Perhaps allowing 20 mins per leader instead of 30 and including the Greens, Farage, and Plaid, with time for a brief final statement from them all at the end.

But alas what is done is done. Time to move on.

Any relation to Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells?

Have you ever seen them in the room together?

What it proposes for Scotland can impact the UK, and such a debate was a rare chance for non-Scots to question the SNP directly, which is not an opportunity we usually get.