Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“The decision of the BBC and UTV to exclude TUV from their leaders’ debates is but the latest example of bias by broadcasters during the election period.
“In the initial letter from the BBC it was suggested that TUV would receive a single party election broadcast and only after this was challenged did the BBC contact us to say we were actually receiving two.
“In the opening days of the campaign, TUV had to write to the director of BBC Northern Ireland to complain about a BBC journalist employing language straight from DUP campaign literature to characterise TUV candidates, a so-called commentator who characterised me as “a Lundy” without challenge and a TV debate from which were were excluded but repeatedly referred to without opportunity to respond.
“As we have repeatedly pointed out to both the BBC and UTV, recent like for like polling over a protected period has shown the TUV either level with the SDLP or within the margin of error. Tellingly, no account appears to have been taken of the fact that in the last Assembly election the difference between the SDLP and TUV was just 1.5%.
“UTV took issue with us saying that TUV have been excluded from the leaders’ debate because we have not been included and advise that at no time was that to be the case. How revealing that UTV, and indeed the BBC, were not prepared to consider the obvious points and did not give any credence to the compelling argument for including TUV in the debate. This shows an appalling lack of balance and inability or unwillingness to consider the facts.
“Thankfully the TUV message is cutting through regardless but the bias of the mainstream media is obvious.
“The practical outwork of BBC and UTV bias is that by only permitting Protocol implementers a platform they aren’t having real debates. They are merely echo chambers.”