BBC Trust rejects London mayor coverage complaint

The BBC Trust has rejected a complaint from one of the candidates for the London mayoral election, who argues that the broadcaster's coverage rules are unfair.

Siobhan Benita, who is standing in the 3 May election as an independent candidate, has called for an overhaul of the current rules, which only require the BBC and other broadcasters to give airtime to "major" candidates who can prove a "substantial" level of public support.

Benita was not invited by producers to take part in last night's live mayoral election debate. She and two other candidates were instead given a smaller role, with a short pre-recorded contribution.

The BBC's election guidelines require programme-makers to take into account "levels of past and current electoral support" when deciding who to interview. This covers the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Green party – who must each receive "similar levels of coverage".

Broadcasting regulator Ofcom has similar guidelines, which identify the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Labour as the "major parties".

The BBC Trust ruled: "The committee recognised that the executive had to exercise its discretion as to whether all or only some candidates are invited to participate in the TV Debate, given the time constraints imposed by the 40-minute programme.

"In the case where only some candidates are invited to participate, the Committee acknowledged that it was intrinsically difficult to decide where the 'cut off' should be.

"However, it considered that that the BBC had taken into account all relevant considerations and it would have been rational to place that 'cut off' either before or after Jenny Jones [Green Party], but that it was perfectly rational to put it where they did."

Benita told London radio station LBC last week: "I am not giving up with the broadcasters. I'm going to keep battling this fight right until 3 May. They do need to be giving all of the candidates much fairer coverage.

"My argument from the start of this campaign is that the rules they are applying are rules that were created for a general election and they apply to political parties. On 3 May, people are being asked to vote for an individual – they're not being asked to vote for a political party.

"I'm supposed to show previous political party results in the 2008 elections. I can't possibly meet that criteria. Are they really saying that their rules are fit for purpose still?

"I think the Ofcom rules need overhauling anyway, but I don't think they were ever applicable to the London mayoral election. On all levels they're going to have to start rethinking the line they've been taking until now."

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