BBC reveals podium and speaking order for next party leaders’ TV debate
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http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/apr/13/bbc-party-leaders-tv-debate-nigel-farage Version 0 of 1. Labour leader Ed Miliband will be on the left and Ukip’s Nigel Farage on the far right in BBC1’s party leaders’ debate on Thursday after lots were drawn to decide the podium order. Farage will also be the last leader to speak in the five-way “challengers” debate that will feature Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon, the Greens’ Natalie Bennett and Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood. In an effort to ensure political balance, it will be followed on BBC1 by a 30-minute reaction programme, hosted by Emily Maitlis, featuring representatives from the Conservatives, the Lib Dems and the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland, none of whom are taking part in the main 90-minute debate. In a format almost (but not quite) as complicated as ITV’s seven-way leader debate on 2 April, the podium order from left to right will be Miliband, Wood, Bennett, Sturgeon and Farage. Related: Ed Miliband determined to take part in 'challengers' TV debate Hosted by David Dimbleby, who will then hotfoot it to present BBC1’s Question Time later that night, there will be five questions (as opposed to ITV’s four) with one minute for each leader to answer followed by 10 minutes of debate. Like ITV, the order in which each leader speaks will be shaken up after each round, including the opening and closing statements. The 90-minute programme, BBC Election Debate 2015, will be broadcast live from Central Hall in Westminster on BBC1, BBC News, 5 Live and online, from 8pm to 9.30pm. It will be followed by BBC Election Debate 2015: The Reaction, from 9.30pm to 10pm. Thursday’s Newsnight on BBC2 will come from Belfast with political leaders in Northern Ireland. There will be a studio audience of 200 voters, selected and weighted to give a cross-section of political opinion, said the BBC. James Harding, BBC director of news and current affairs, said: “The BBC election debate will give a fascinating insight into the policies and priorities of five of the parties which were in opposition during the last parliament. “The party leaders will lay out and debate their alternatives to the policies pursued by the coalition over the past five years. Afterwards, we will be able to gauge the instant reaction of other parties in an evening of viewing dedicated to helping voters understand the choices which will be before them on 7 May.” Thursday’s edition of Question Time will feature Labour’s shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, SNP leader at Westminster Angus Robertson, Liberal Democrat business minister Jo Swinson, Ukip’s Douglas Carswell, former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan and a “senior Conservative” yet to be confirmed by the BBC. It is the latest in a series of pre-election TV programmes after the ITV debate and the opening Jeremy Paxman interviews with Cameron and Miliband broadcast by Channel 4 and Sky. The BBC will broadcast a Question Time Election Special on 30 April, featuring Cameron, Miliband and Clegg individually taking questions from the Question Time audience. Full running order: Opening statements1. Leanne Wood2. Nigel Farage3. Ed Miliband4. Nicola Sturgeon5. Natalie Bennett Question 11. Nicola Sturgeon2. Ed Miliband3. Natalie Bennett4. Nigel Farage5. Leanne Wood Question 21. Ed Miliband2. Leanne Wood3. Nigel Farage4. Natalie Bennett5. Nicola Sturgeon Question 31. Nigel Farage2. Natalie Bennett3. Leanne Wood4. Nicola Sturgeon5. Ed Miliband Question 41. Natalie Bennett2. Nicola Sturgeon3. Ed Miliband4. Nigel Farage5. Leanne Wood Question 51. Ed Miliband2. Nigel Farage3. Nicola Sturgeon4. Leanne Wood5. Natalie Bennett Closing statements1. Nicola Sturgeon2. Leanne Wood3. Natalie Bennett4. Ed Miliband5. Nigel Farage |