Review of Ofcom list of major political parties for elections taking place on 22 May

[Chippiewill]

Summary of Ofcom's Decision:
We have consulted on an appropriate approach for determining the composition of the list of major parties ahead of the elections taking place on 22 May 2014.

Our decision is that the United Kingdom Independence Party ("UKIP") should be added to the list of major parties in England and in Wales for the 2014 European Parliament elections.

The practical effect of this decision is as follows:

* Broadcasters transmitting PEBs on a UK/Great Britain-wide basis (such as Channel 5 in the European Parliamentary elections) will be obliged to treat UKIP as a major party across the whole of England, Wales and Scotland (i.e. Great Britain) as a whole.

* STV will not be required to treat UKIP as a major party for the purposes of broadcasting Scotland-only PEBs. This reflects the fact that UKIP has low levels of support in Scotland. However, ITV Wales will have to treat UKIP as a major party for the purposes of broadcasting Wales-only PEBs, reflecting the fact that UKIP has significant levels of support in Wales

* In news and current affairs election programming that focuses on the European Parliamentary elections across England, Wales and Scotland (i.e. Great Britain) as a whole, UKIP will be treated as a major party across the whole of England, Wales and Scotland (i.e. Great Britain). However, in news and current affairs election programming that focuses on the European Parliamentary elections in just Scotland, UKIP will not be treated as a major party in such programming.

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/con...r-parties-2014

It's official, UKIP is a major political party.

[lemons]

WOOOOWOWOWO im so happy vote ukip! undertaker will be pleased

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i can't wait to see nigel own the others in tv debates

[MKR&*42]

Throws balloons

[-:Undertaker:-]

Good news, hopefully (and I really hope so) the purples will win the European Elections this year and make it almost impossible for Farage to be kept out of the General Election debates. Time will tell (80 days or so to go?).

[Kardan]

This was obvious isn't it? Because isn't the BNP considered a 'major political party', because I'm sure I've seen their party broadcasts on TV, and we all know that UKIP is more popular than the BNP now.

[-:Undertaker:-]

This was obvious isn't it? Because isn't the BNP considered a 'major political party', because I'm sure I've seen their party broadcasts on TV, and we all know that UKIP is more popular than the BNP now.

BNP isn't no, never has been. I think most parties are entitled to a broadcast as i've seen BNP/Green/UKIP and others before, but not on the same level as the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats.

[Kardan]

BNP isn't no, never has been. I think most parties are entitled to a broadcast as i've seen BNP/Green/UKIP and others before, but not on the same level as the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats.

Ahh, maybe I'm getting these two types of broadcasts mixed up then.