Leaders' debates deny Scotland a voice

The plans for the general election leaders' debates (your report, 3 March) show that Scots will again be treated as second-class citizens by the BBC.

Scotland's most popular political party at the two most recent elections will be excluded from all three debates.

This insult must be added to a long list of instances where the BBC has ignored Scotland.

A similar notable event was when the BBC thought that Scottish viewers would be interested in seeing 20 minutes of coverage on The Six O'Clock News of England winning the Ashes.

This forgetfulness on the part of the BBC that Scotland exists is suddenly corrected when they demand 150 per year from each of us to pay for their coverage of events which are often irrelevant.

The Scottish Parliament should get the licence fee money paid by Scots and use it to create a TV service designed to serve Scotland.

JIM BRYCE

King's Meadow

Edinburgh

While there may be a Londoncentric argument against having the SNP on a national TV leaders debate during a Westminster general election (your report, 3 March), it is outrageous for supine Scottish broadcasters to allow the Scottish branches of the UK parties to have a fourth bite at the cherry.

The logical and fairest move would be to have a programme on each channel featuring Alex Salmond answering questions from members of the public.

Failure to do so is redolent of election broadcasting in Iran or Russia and is surely open to challenge as the Scottish democratic deficit is alive and well when it comes to fair treatment of the largest indigenous Scottish political party.

JANICE THOMPSON

Walter Scott Avenue

Edinburgh

The proposals put forward for televised election debates by Sky, ITV and the BBC, in conjunction with the Tories, Lib Dems and Labour (your report, 3 March), exclude three of the four nations comprising the UK.

All three debates are planned to take place in England, completely ignoring Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, despite being broadcast in these nations.

It would be outrageous if the people of Scotland were misled and not properly represented on these programmes.

ALEX ORR

Bryson Road

Edinburgh