Party Political Broadcasts

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 12 March 1970.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mr Harold Wilson Mr Harold Wilson , Huyton 12:00, 12 March 1970

I do not think it right that there should be Ministerial responsibility in this matter. This is a matter best discussed between the parties and the broadcasting authorities. I am not aware of any breach of democracy, still less of any breach of promise concerning the hon. Lady. I was not sure whether she was referring to General Election timing or broadcasting in the course of an average year, but on the usual basis of relating time to support at the polls, in Britain with a total of 140 minutes of television time a year, the Scots would get less than a minute while the Welsh would have less than half a minute if that mathematical rule applied. In fact they have done rather better.

General Election

In a general election, each constituency chooses an MP to represent it by process of election. The party who wins the most seats in parliament is in power, with its leader becoming Prime Minister and its Ministers/Shadow Ministers making up the new Cabinet. If no party has a majority, this is known as a hung Parliament. The next general election will take place on or before 3rd June 2010.