GREENS in the Stroud district have expressed their anger at the BBCs decision to exclude the party from next year’s election debate.

Last month it was announced that UKIP leader Nigel Farage would be invited to take part in one of the three planned television debates ahead of the General Election in May.

This sparked anger among many of the other smaller political parties who felt they had been left out.

Prime Minister David Cameron has also expressed his concern about including UKIP whilst leaving out the Greens explaining that he could not see how you can include one party that has an MP in Parliament and exclude another party which also has one MP.

The Green Party parliamentary candidate for Stroud, Chris Jockel has called the decision totally unacceptable.

“Whatever the final outcome this decision appears to fail even the most basic test of logic, it is an erosion of democratic representation.

“This is the kind of behaviour we might expect of an altogether different kind of state broadcaster but not the BBC.

"For younger voters the political scene is changing rapidly especially through the internet media and by the Scottish Referendum.

"It has woken people up to the realisation that you don’t have to vote for any of the three, tired indistinguishable party leaders or a wild card UKIP candidate."

Just under 200, 000 people signed an on-line petition calling for the Green Party to join the debate but so far the calls for inclusion have been ignored.

According to a poll carried out by Lord Ashcroft 19 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds would vote for the Green Party if there was an election tomorrow and currently opinion polls show that the Greens and Lib Dems running virtually neck and neck.

The suggested schedule is for three debates on April 2, 16 and 30 ahead of the election on May 7.

However Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg has only been invited to take part in two of the three planned events with a head-to-head debate between the David Cameron and Ed Miliband due to air on Sky and Channel 4.