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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| SNP and Plaid lose debate appeal | SNP and Plaid lose debate appeal |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| The BBC Trust has not upheld a complaint by Scottish and Welsh nationalists over their exclusion from the BBC's TV prime ministerial debate. | |
| The SNP and Plaid Cymru wanted their leaders to be included in the three live TV clashes between Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg. | |
| The BBC Trust met on Wednesday to consider the appeal. | The BBC Trust met on Wednesday to consider the appeal. |
| Earlier the SNP's Alex Neil said that "given the contribution we make to the UK" it was an "insult" to be excluded. | Earlier the SNP's Alex Neil said that "given the contribution we make to the UK" it was an "insult" to be excluded. |
| The BBC will be hosting the last of the three live TV debates on Thursday, 29 April. ITV held the first last week, while Sky is organising the second one, which will be broadcast this evening. | |
| SNP leader Alex Salmon and Plaid's Ieuan Wyn Jones will not be appearing in any of the shows. | |
| The BBC Trust said in a statement that the decision of the BBC's Director General to exclude the SNP and Plaid Cymru from the third debate was "appropriate" regarding impartiality. | |
| It added that the SNP and Plaid leaders would instead be taking place in televised debates in Scotland and Wales respectively, and that theses were being "clearly signposted" by the BBC. | |
| The BBC has long maintained that only the Labour, Lib Dem and Conservative leaders are being included in the main televised debates, as they are the only three people who could go on to become the next prime minister. |