Access denied

Generally speaking, I'm a staunch supporter of the BBC, but their refusal to consider including Green Party leader Natalie Bennett in the proposed televised election debates - despite offering an invitation to Nigel Farage, whose party UKIP have the same number of MPs (one) - is indefensible. Their rationale is that  "UKIP has demonstrated a substantial increase in electoral support since 2014 across a range of elections along with a consistent and robust trend across a full range of opinion polls; the Green Party has not demonstrated any comparable increase in support in either elections or opinion polls." Perhaps the corporation might like to reflect on the fact that a primary factor behind UKIP's current popularity is the oxygen of publicity that the mainstream media seem intent on giving to the party - oxygen that the BBC seem equally determined to deny to the Greens, thereby perpetuating their marginalisation.

(Thanks to Mhairi for the link.)