The BBC is being accused of ‘suffocating’ local democracy by hosting a televised London mayoral debate involving only two of the TWENTY candidates.
The debate, on tonight’s BBC London news programme, will feature incumbent Sadiq Khan and Conservative candidate Shaun Bailey, who has reportedly had his party funding cut because his campaign has been so disappointing.
No independent candidates have been invited to take part – and even the Greens and Lib Dems have been frozen out.
Leading independent Brian Rose, who is second-favourite with bookmakers, said: ‘The BBC has a duty to give “due weight” to candidates. How on earth does putting Sadiq Khan up against the weakest opponent in the race do this?
‘This sort of lazy approach to politics from our national broadcaster is helping to suffocate democracy. Over and above the rank unfairness of this decision, exposure on the BBC is worth a huge amount in financial terms, and inevitably gives these two candidates a substantial advantage over everyone else.’
The BBC has pledged to host one London mayoral debate between now and polling day on May 6th, plus seven other regional mayoral debates. The broadcaster says that ‘News, views and opinions of voters will be reflected across digital, TV and radio broadcasts’.
Mr Rose added: ‘I urge fellow candidates to join me in demanding that the BBC explains why it is taking this stance when, as a national, licence fee-funded broadcaster, it has a duty to serve all candidates and their supporters.
‘Why should my supporters or, indeed, Greens or Lib Dem supporters be subsidising the BBC when it quite clearly doesn’t give a damn about their views, preferring instead to act as an establishment lickspittle?’
Earlier this week, Rose – a US-born ex-Wall Street banker who has lived in London for 20 years – visited Croydon-based charity Lives Not Knives and pledged to bring an end to the violence, which he described as ‘casting such a long shadow over our city’.
And last month he completed a 22-day tour of all 32 London boroughs in a ‘fully digital battle bus’, complete with on-board TV studio to allow him to live stream and interact with voters on social media.
