THE BBC has backed down and given Ukip leader Nigel Farage his own TV
slot to answer audience questions amid allegations that yesterday's debate was
fixed.
He will take audience questions in a 30-minute programme called Election
2015: Ask Nigel Farage.
The discussion, held in Birmingham, will air after the News at 10 and
will be chaired by journalist Jo Coburn.
It will be held at the same time as a Question Time special featuring the
Tory, Labour and Liberal Democrat leaders who will take turns answering
questions from the same audience in Leeds.
A Ukip insider raised questions over the timing of the announcement from
the BBC amid a growing bias storm engulfing the broadcaster.
It earlier emerged that Thursday's debate featuring the leaders of
"challenger" parties had an audience where just ONE THIRD leaned towards the
political right.
The Ukip leader was booed on the programme when he suggested the make-up
of the BBC election debate audience was left wing "even by the left-wing
standards of the BBC".
Host David Dimbleby even insisted the audience had been “carefully
chosen” by independent polling organisation ICM to represent the balance between
all parties.
But when the make-up of audience members was finally revealed it showed
that nearly 70 per cent were left wing.
The Ukip leader indicated that he would not be raising a formal complaint
over the make-up of the audience with the debate's BBC hosts, saying he was too
busy fighting the election.
On hearing the news that Farage will get his own 30-minute broadcast, a
party spokesman said: "Nigel Farage is delighted to accept the BBC's invitation
to once again engage with the British public."
In Scotland, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon will face a similar programme in
Glasgow, chaired by Glen Campbell.
Meanwhile Leanne Wood, the Plaid Cymru leader, will do the same in
Cardiff.
All of the programmes will be broadcast on Thursday April 30 - exactly
one week before polling day. Express.
