Quote Originally Posted by JamesWales View Post
Not sure where the first comment comes from. It's a forum, people respond and respond in kind.

You have set a specific determinant there of how all political discussions should be based - by the number of MPs. I agree that's definitely part of the equation but far from the only one. If that were the case it's a recipe for the media parroting whoever is in power.

On that basis, yes Reform get a disproportionate hearing. So do the SNP and Plaid UK wide, so do that Lib Dems I suspect as they are typically on most panels.

As for Question Time, I see three Reform MPs have been on this year, to eight Lib Dems. You can add in Zia Yusufs appearances and it's 5 to 8. So you aren't right on that one. So that's 5 out of 96 panellists in 2025.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List..._Time_episodes

I don't have the data for other panellist shows such as the Daily Politics but I suspect they are the same.

Is that fair? It's an over-epresentation in terms of MPs. It's a total underrepresentation based on the last local elections and an underrepresentation based on opinion polls.

So on balance, I reckon they probably get it about right really.

But either way, the idea the BBC ever give wall-to-wall coverage to council ward by-elections is absolutely untrue.
Well, I reckon I'm not the only person on here who reads something you post on politics and thinks it often comes over like some form of binding arbitration that is meant to stop all conversation and argument.

I used Question Time as an example of Farage and his various parties being given more time on that programme, and on many other political shows on other channels than their stature has merited. I don' t know where you get your figures from for appearances on Question Time in 2025, but I'm grateful for the Wikipedia link because it proves that Fafrage has had a season ticket on Question Time dating back to the days when David Dimbleby hadn't been hosting it for long.

A contributory factor for Reform's good polling currently I'd say is the easy ride they get from the media - essentially theu have a television channel dedicated to supporting them, a decent proportion of the newpapers behind them and a easy time of it from channels like the BBC.