04/04/2014 Newswatch

Now, Newswatch. Did the BBC's screening of the debate on the EU do

a favour to UKIP? Welcome to Newswatch. Coming up...

Wednesday's EU debate, we look at the dilemma for the BBC over how

much air time to give to it. Is this Nick Robinson's new interviewing

technique, questioning politicians when they are busy talking to

someone else which are marked Mr Farrow, are you still arguing that

President Assad did not use chemical weapons? And we look back at when

the BBC cheered as up with a cheerful hoax about spaghetti

growing on trees. The build`up seemed to promise the latest in a

series of heavyweight confrontations. But did Wednesday

night causing big fight live up to the billing? Seconds out for round

two of the bout between the man who says he is leading a people's army,

and the man who says he is exposing a dangerous fallacy. Last week, they

sized each other up. Tonight it is the career political class and their

friends in big his nose, they want us to keep the status quo. If it

sounds too good to be true, it probably is. But was this debate the

BBC should have been screening? Some people thought not...

Others felt that coverage of the debate exposed or did something to

redress what they see as the BBC's pro`EU bias.

Well, the BBC's chief political adviser joins me in the studio now.

Nigel Farage has his supporters as well as his detractors, but why

screen a debate about this topic, which no voter is going to have a

say on, for the time being? It is clearly one of the big political

issues of our time, Britain's relationship with the European issue

union `` the European Union. We get criticism from both sides, that we

do not do enough on Europe. I think this was a really good opportunity

to hear from someone who is very much in favour of the European

Union, up against somebody who is very much against it, to hear some

of those arguments, ahead of a time when this will become a really big

issue, in two or three years' time. But there are lots of big issues

that we could have a debate on, but this particular issue plays into the

hands of UKIP, many people would say. Well, it was Nick Clegg who

threw down the gauntlet and offered to have a debate. I think he felt

that he wanted to put that side of the argument. Nigel Farage of course

has also been prominent in the last year or two. It is quite right that

these two quite prominent politicians should have an

opportunity on the BBC to talk about this important issue. We will talk

about how we define prominent ` UKIP have no MPs, the Green Party have

one, but they do not seem to be getting invited to debate issues.

There is a question about how much the BBC has helped build up the

profile of UKIP over the past year? We give coverage to political

parties according to the level of electoral support they have had in

the past. It is true that UKIP do not have any MPs, they did not get

any in the 2010 election, but since then, it is undeniable that they

have made a big impact in electorally. They did extremely well

in the local elections last year. Their ratings in the opinion polls

have been extremely strong over the past couple of years. Mostly higher

than the Lib Dems. So the fact that UKIP is making an impact with real

voters means the BBC has to reflect that and reflect those views. There

is a question about what happens next, because now that he has

debated with Nick Clegg, surely Nigel Farage will expect to be part

of any general election leadership debate next year. Would he be? We

looked at each election. At the moment we are looking towards the

European elections next month. In that context, UKIP have done

extremely well over the years, they came second last time, some people

even think they might the general election is still more than a year

away. At an appropriate time, we will look at it. Is there definitely

going to be a leadership debate before the general election next

year? It is not set yet. We would like to do one. We thought they were

incredibly successful last time, particularly engaging younger

voters. We and the other broadcasters would like to do one

again this time, but it is still more than a year away, so it is not

certain. I am just looking at the number of MEPs, nearly half have

quit, resigned, been expelled or changed party, from UKIP? It is

true, but people voted for them at the last election, and one thing

about giving a party like that more coverage is that we ask them more

difficult questions. It means that the BBC, as part of its job, has to

hold them to account. That is what we are doing when we do this kind of

coverage. Debates is just one part of it. We will be doing lots of

other coverage about Europe. Thank you.

You have been sending us comments relating to that debate, and you

were doing so before it kicked off. Nick Robinson was live for the news

at six outside New Broadcasting House in London following earlier

comments from Nigel Farage about the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

And who should be behind him? Nigel Farage is answering questions about

those comments. Because the UN did not take a decision about who used

chemical weapons in Syria, but they did conclude that the weapons were

used. Are you still arguing that President Assad did not use chemical

weapons in Syria? Some viewers were unimpressed by that...

Another topic caught your eye last weekend, coverage of the first

same`sex marriage is, which took place in England and Wales following

a new law coming into effect. Was it a major cultural shift or a small,

incremental change, following the introduction of civil partnerships

in 2005 and now some people felt BBC News gave the event too much

attention. If same`sex marriage is a divisive

issue, so, too, is climate change. This week the BBC was criticised for

its reporting on that subject by a Parliamentary committee. MPs said

some editors were poor at determining the level of expertise

amongst the public, and sometimes pitted lobbyists against top

scientists, as if their views had equal weight. The BBC responded that

it did not believe in erasing wider viewpoints.

Finally, the date on Tuesday prompted Colin Paterson to look back

at one of broadcasting's most famous tricks on the audience. On the 1st

of April 1957, in between Hancox half`hour and some heavyweight

boxing, panorama featured one of the most famous April Fools of all time.

Spaghetti cultivation in Switzerland is not carried out on anything like

the tremendous scale of the Italian industry. That was the voice of

Richard and bubbly. `` Richard Dimbleby.

Others were on the lookout for similar trickery this year. One

viewer thought she had found a candidate on the BBC News website.

No, that story actually is true, along with all the other unlikely

sounding reports you heard or read on the BBC on Tuesday. The BBC did

however relay some stories from the papers.

If in our naivete we missed any BBC April Fools this week, do let us

know. We want you to share all of your opinions on BBC current affairs

by contacting us... Thanks for all your comments about

BBC News. These join us again next week. Goodbye.

You will need to factor in the possibility of rain at least into

your plans for the