'I'll hold their feet to the fire,' says host of first big Holyrood TV debate

A special episode of Debate Night on BBC One Scotland at 7pm tonight will see the leaders of all six Holyrood parties - the SNP, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Tories, Greens and Reform UK - face a grilling from a live studio audience.

“We’ve got 90 minutes, so we’ve got a good opportunity to hold their feet to the fire and also to really scrutinise them on these issues, and to cut through the waffle and get some real answers,” Mr Jardine told Scotland on Sunday.

He said the debate had the potential to “change the momentum” of the election.

“I don’t think debates decide elections, but I think they can change the mood music, they can change the momentum, and they can create some big moments that politicians have to get past and recover from as well,” he said.

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The broadcaster added: “You think back to the very origins of this back in the 1960s in the States, a sweaty Richard Nixon versus a very telegenic JFK, and just how that changed perceptions.

“It can just disrupt a campaign, what happens. A gaffe, a moment, something that someone says. The extra dimension I think we’ve got now is social media in all of this.”

Mr Jardine has hosted around 160 episodes of Debate Night, which has been running since 2019. He said the audience will decide the questions and themes. The economy, the cost of living, the NHS and immigration are all likely to feature, based on past polling.

"The unique thing about Debate Night is our audience,” Mr Jardine said. “We've been making this show since 2019, travelling right around Scotland, giving a voice to the people of Scotland. And that's what Sunday night is going to be about as well.”

He added: "I think that will change the dynamic, perhaps, of where this election has been going so far, because what we're going to find out on Sunday night is what really matters to the people of Scotland who are with us in the room. 

"We're going to have 150 people, specifically chosen to represent a cross-section of political views based on party support, and where they come from in Scotland as well."

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Mr Jardine said his job will be to get answers and ensure the party leaders do not ignore the questions.

“I will hold their feet to the fire on Sunday night, but on my side helping me do that is the audience, who have all come along because they want answers,” he said.

“We don’t have all the manifestos out yet. Some of them are coming next week. So I’m hoping for some big revelations and some big answers from the panellists on Sunday night as well.”

He added: “I think there will be some pretty obvious territory being covered, because that’s what people want answers on, but there will be a few surprises in there as well.”