The SNP has hit out at ITV as the broadcaster confirmed the first televised debate of the election would only feature Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer. 

The party's Westminster Leader, Stephen Flynn, said it was a "disgrace that there will be no Scottish voice included in the first TV election debate."

ITV confirmed the Prime Minister and the Labour leader will take part in the show at 9pm on Tuesday June 4.

The Herald:

The hour-long debate will be moderated by Julie Etchingham and take place in front of a studio audience.

The broadcaster has also said they will host interviews with other party leaders and a multi-party debate.

READ MORE: General Election: Parties in TV debate row

Mr Flynn suggested the broadcaster's decision to exclude his party was the result of negotiations between ITV and the Tories and Labour. 

He said:  "It shows that Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer are running scared of scrutiny - and it underlines why it's vital to vote SNP to make Scotland's voice heard and put Scotland's interests first.

"Scotland deserves better than a narrow choice between the Tories and Tory-lite Labour Party, who are both wedded to Brexit, austerity cuts, creeping privatisation of the NHS, and want to block Scotland from having any choice over our future.

"The SNP is the only party that will always put the interests of Scotland first - and it's wrong that we have been blocked from attending the debate in another Westminster stitch-up."

Michael Jermey, ITV’s director of news and current affairs, said: “Millions of viewers value the election debates.

“They provide a chance to see and hear the party leaders set out their pitch to the country, debate directly with each other and take questions from voters.

“ITV is pleased to be broadcasting the first debate in this year’s election campaign.”

There have been clashes over this before.

In 2019, the SNP and Lib Dems took ITV to court over a head-to-head debate between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn. They argued Jo Swinson and Nicola Sturgeon should be included.

The Herald:

However, two senior judges ruled that because ITV was not exercising “a public function” it was not liable to judicial review challenge in the courts. The format was an editorial matter for broadcasters and the media regulator Ofcom.

Labour has so far indicated it will only put Sir Keir up for two leadership debates during the campaign. Mr Sunak had initially proposed six.