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SCOTTISH TORIES FAIL IN TV GENDER BALANCE TEST

WEEKLY TV APPEARANCES DOMINATED BY TORY MEN

The SNP has slammed the Scottish Tories for failing to contribute towards gender balanced political panels on key Scottish television programmes.

On BBC Scotland’s Debate Night programme, the Tories have failed miserably to provide a 50/50 split between male and female MSPs. Since the Scottish Parliament elections in May, the Tories have provided one woman in 12 shows. Across the same episodes, 58% of participants from the SNP were female.

Plus, on BBC One Scotland’s Politics Scotland show, where a panel of MSPs features every week, just two Tory women featured across ten shows. Whereas the SNP provided a 50/50 split in the same period.

Commenting, SNP MSP Michelle Thomson said:

“It is extremely disappointing that the Tories have failed to provide a 50/50 split for media appearances amongst their MSP group – in fact they have failed miserably with just one woman appearing to represent them across 12 weeks of Debate Night appearances and 2 in 10 appearances on Politics Scotland.

“Our Scottish Parliament is more representative of the people of Scotland than it has ever been before. It is important that when people tune in to political programmes they continue to see that representation.

“However, the Tories have failed that test as their weekly appearances continue to be dominated by men. It is as if they do not trust their female MSPs to represent the party in front of the public.

“It is also welcome that Scottish Labour have provided a 50/50 split when they can on programmes, each political party should be making efforts to have better representation of women in politics and the Tories need to up their game.”

ENDS

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