Audience debate kicks off BBC Scotland 2016 Election coverage

The BBC’s Pacific Quay studios in Glasgow will see the first televised Leaders Debate of the campaign on Thursday 24 March, filmed in front of an audience and chaired by political correspondent Glenn Campbell. The panel will comprise the leaders of the Scottish National Party, the Scottish Labour Party, the Scottish Conservative Party, the Scottish Liberal Democrats, the Scottish Green Party and UKIP Scotland.

Scotland Editor Sarah Smith will then host another televised debate before an audience, just five days before polling takes place, when the party leaders will put their final pitches to the armchair voters. On the panel will be the leaders of the Scottish National Party, the Scottish Labour Party, the Scottish Conservative Party, the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Green Party. Details of the venue for this second Leaders Debate on Sunday 1 May will be announced at a later date, and both debates will be on BBC One Scotland.

BBC Scotland will also release the results of a poll that is being commissioned on the issues that matter the most to the electors as they weigh up their options.

The party leaders will also be put on the spot in late March on Good Morning Scotland (GMS) when Gary Robertson asks the questions which the public want answered, while listeners get their chance to question directly those vying for power in special Kaye Adams programmes. GMS will also tour the country to get to the heart of the local issues that are dominating constituency contests.

As part of the wide-ranging coverage, Reporting Scotland will be extended to an hour from Monday 25 April; Scotland 2016 will host a series of issue debates; and Gordon Brewer will explore with leaders the main talking points that emerge during the campaign, on Sunday Politics and on his Big Debate on Radio Scotland every Friday.

Radio Scotland will also host a number of constituency debates in Shetland, Orkney, Aberdeenshire, Inverness, Dumfries, and Selkirk, and BBC Scotland online will be a key destination for interviews, features and breaking news stories throughout the campaign.

BBC Scotland will also feature a range of shareable content to engage with audiences who look to social media for all the news and views in the run-up to polling day.

BBC ALBA will kick off their campaign with special Sunday evening coverage in An Taghadh on 3 April, with the emphasis on the community views of key election issues. In Radio nan Gaidheal’s news and current affairs programming, and on its online service, there will be extensive coverage throughout the campaign period.

Full details of election night programming and results service from BBC Scotland, Radio nan Gaidheal and BBC ALBA will be confirmed at a later date.

Gary Smith, Head of News and Current Affairs at BBC Scotland, said: "We are developing an in-depth and compelling range of content for our audiences across all our platforms. Voters are centre-stage and we’ll be giving them all the breaking news and views from the campaign trails, as well as expert analysis on the issues that count, as they prepare to go to the polls."

JG