Green deputy replaces party leader in election debate to avoid all-male panel
The deputy leader of the Greens will be replacing the party’s leader in an upcoming election debate to avoid an all-male panel.
Amelia Womack, the lead list candidate in South Wales East, will represent the party at the BBC Senedd Election debate this week instead of Anthony Slaughter.
The move is in line with the party’s policy not to take part in all-male panels.
The programme will be broadcast on BBC One Wales at 8.30pm on Thursday, April 29, in advance of polling day on May 6.
Womack has criticised the two-tier format of the debate, which she described as “confusing”, and said it won’t present a fair picture for voters.
The BBC has insisted that it is “confident” that its editorial process had been “fair and impartial”.
In the first hour, Bethan Rhys Roberts will host leaders invited from the Labour, Conservative, Plaid Cymru, Liberal Democrats and Abolish the Assembly parties.
The second part will see Nick Servini host leaders invited from Reform, UKIP, along with Womack from the Greens.
‘Confusing’
Womack said: “Although I am excited to get a chance to speak to the Welsh public as part of the BBC debates next week, the format is at best confusing, and at worst detrimental to the fair reporting standards of the BBC.”
“Not only will voters not get the opportunity to see all parties able to win seats debate together and hold the current administration to account, but the split means we are not given parity to parties with similar polling to ourselves”.
Anthony Slaughter, also the lead list candidate in South Wales Central, and constituency candidate for Vale of Glamorgan said “I am proud to send Amelia to represent the Green Party at the BBC Wales debates, as well as ensuring the programme is not exclusively male.
“It is just a shame the debate won’t truly showcase her potential to be taking a seat in Cardiff Bay this May.
“We know that on the regional list vote, Greens can win, and that the last seat in nearly all of Wales will be a between Abolish and the Greens, yet we are not being given the parity we deserve.”
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The basis for selection should be purely on whoever has the best ability and never connected with gender.
Well done for inserting some kind of balance into the panel.
“The BBC has insisted that it is “confident” that its editorial process had been “fair and impartial”.” There’s a first time for everything.