LIBERAL Democrat leader Nick Clegg said today it was a "measure of desperation" that the SNP is planning court action over the final TV leaders’ debate.

The Nationalists are furious that they have not been included in the live clashes and are trying to raise £50,000 to pay for legal action at the Court of Session in Edinburgh ahead of Thursday night’s debate on the BBC.

They intend to lodge papers with the court tomorrow, seeking a review of the broadcaster’s position to "ensure that Scottish interests are properly represented".

The proposed action would seek to ensure that the debate is broadcast in Scotland with the nation’s political make-up "fairly" reflected - either by having SNP representation in the debate or through an agreement to have a further leaders’ debate organised before polling day.

A fighting fund set up by the SNP yesterday morning to fund the action has already raised £34,000.

But Mr Clegg branded the proposed legal action as a "measure of desperation on Alex Salmond’s part".

Mr Clegg, speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme, said: "The broadcasters have made their decision, they’ve invited the leaders of the parties competing across the United Kingdom to be Prime Minister of this country.

"So, quite understandably, they haven’t invited Alex Salmond."

Thursday’s debate will see Mr Clegg, Gordon Brown and David Cameron go head to head on economic policies.

The Lib Dem leader said the proposed legal action could mean the clash would not be broadcast in Scotland, and claimed Mr Salmond "wants to force people to go online to look at a debate which otherwise has set the General Election alight around the country".

He added: "What on earth is he trying to do, trying to cut people off?

"It’s the broadcasters who quite understandably took the decision to invite the leaders of the three parties which are competing across the United Kingdom, so that is a spat between Alex Salmond and the broadcasters.

"But what I do find seriously peculiar is that Alex Salmond wants to cut the Scottish people off from simply watching on their televisions a debate that could have direct effect on the lives and livelihoods of people here in Scotland."

He said: "I understand he’s got a bone to pick with the broadcasters and he should pursue that, but he shouldn’t penalise the Scottish people and prevent them from watching the debate."

The SNP’s legal bid comes days after the BBC Trust rejected appeals by them and Plaid Cymru in Wales against their exclusion from the debate.

Mr Salmond said he did not want to stop the debate taking place, but wanted his party to be part of it.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Call Kaye programme, the Scottish First Minister said: "We’re not trying to stop the BBC debate, what we’re doing in going to court is to try and get to participate in it, because that’s fair and that’s democratic.

"And it’s unfair and undemocratic not to be allowed to participate."

Mr Salmond recalled the Labour Party had taken legal action during the Scottish local election campaign in 1995 over a Panorama programme featuring the then Tory prime minister John Major.

He stated: "The upshot of that was not to stop the programme, the upshot of that was they had to make another programme to be fair and balanced, and that would be entirely satisfactory if we won the case this coming week."

He added that by this morning £34,000 had been raised towards the £50,000 target.

Mr Salmond said: "We’re hoping to reach the total and we’ll go to court to defend democracy in Scotland."

He also stressed: "The court documents don’t ask for me as an individual to take part, just the SNP, and I hope our colleagues in Plaid Cymru as well, to get fairness and justice so we can have a decent democratic election campaign."

Former BBC correspondent and independent MP Martin Bell gave his backing to the SNP, claiming the exclusion of the Nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales from the debates was "profoundly unfair".

Mr Bell said: "I believe the election leaders’ debates have been a great innovation and are helping voters engage in the democratic process.

"But at the same time, the exclusion of the SNP and Plaid Cymru has been profoundly unfair to those parties - especially given the way the TV debates are so clearly dominating all media coverage of the election."

Mr Bell added: "In future, a better balance will have to be found to make sure that these parties are included and not squeezed out, as they have been in this campaign.

"I support the action being taken by the SNP in relation to the party’s proposed legal challenge, as the issue is one of such fundamental democratic importance."

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3 ELECTION Debate

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Shadow Scottish secretary David Mundell said: "Alex Salmond’s attempts to be part of the UK leaders’ debates is nothing but posturing.

"He has been offered a space on four Scottish leaders’ debates and refused three of them.

"Instead of making believable statements on how to bring down the debt, or sort out the economy, his one main fight of the campaign is to get himself on the TV."